Berea's Got Idols
by BangtanAlchemist
Summary: BTS members (under different names) meet from different states and countries and become housemates at Berea College, having little background with each other previously. Their living quarters and classes in Berea draw them closer together, and eventually they come to understand each other more than anyone else ever could. Their backstories are roadblocks they each must overcome.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:** This story's characters are based off of the Bangtan Boys (Kpop group), but because it takes place at Berea College, there were a few changes. This story has given them different names because they are coming from different places in America and around the world, but as the story progresses, they will adopt nicknames that Bangtan holds for each other as well as their stage names. Until then, their names have pieces of the Bangtan names/nicknames in them, so you should be able to distinguish who is who. Also, each of them hold a backstory, which affects their character; this means that they may not always completely hold true to the BTS members at times, depending on the situation. To clarify for this chapter as well as future chapters: Aiden Valentine is V, Evan Sugar is Suga, Jin Kasey is Jin (Jin Kasey is his Americanized name adopted for ease), Rhodon Hope is J-Hope, Damien Kooke is Jungkook, Hiroshi Nakamura is Rapmon (he holds Rapmon as a nickname), and Andy Cimabue (Chim-ah-boo-ay) is Jimin.

 **Chapter 1: Where to Begin?**

 **ROOMMATES NEEDED** : Berea, KY

3 room house

2 toilet

1 couch

videogame, TV

Like good personality. Apply Now. Send information to valentinea.

"It's been an entire week, and I've already had fifteen people email me. Should I delete this ad now? I've almost grown to like it too much... It must be good for how many responded." Aiden (I-din) Valentine remarked as his blue eyes stared at the computer screen longingly with his chin rested upon his folded arms on his desk. The house was beginning to feel far too empty since his mother left a couple of days ago to allow him some space while he was attending college. His mother was renting the house out to him and whoever he ended up sharing the space with, so it was his duty to find responsible people! It's just... he couldn't decide who he should accept just by the online replies. They all sounded great! So, he decided to hold interviews at his home so he could get a better feel for those who emailed him. He was just waiting for them to start arriving and- wait. They're arriving soon!

Aiden jumped from his chair and practically dived for the clothing he had left on the floor to throw them into the dirty hamper beside his bunk bed. He hurried over to his dresser that sat opposite of the bed and rummaged through the drawers to search for the proper outfit he should wear for the interviews. A sweater? No... too warm. A button-up shirt? Yes! Wait... no. What if they thought he was too serious to live with? Ah! A loose t-shirt! And jeans! Perfect. Aiden did a quick 3-minute change and noted to himself that in order to be a more successful theater major, he should practice changing clothes faster. Good idea... focus! His eyes darted to the clock that hung on the wall above his dresser, and he couldn't be more surprised! Was it really already 1:00 p.m.? His first interview was in fifteen minutes! Quickly he hid his pajamas under his bed to deal with them later and then ran out of his room to organize the living room a little better. His hands rapidly grabbed for the snack trash that was strewn out across the table in front of the television, and he hurried into the kitchen which lay adjacent to the living room to throw it all away in the actual trashcan.  
Aiden's cleaning continued like this, rushing to make the house as clean as possible before the guest's arrival. That doorbell should be ringing any minute now, and he knew the house could have looked better if he had only started sooner! He reached his hands up and ran his fingers through his thick, brown hair and breathed a deep sigh as he tried to ease the stress that he was beginning to experience. What are you worrying about, Aiden? If they don't like the house as it is now, then they have too high of expectations and perhaps wouldn't like living here anyways, right? With a nod to himself, he decided that was a good answer and rid himself of any further anxiety, though he did remain a little nervous. Again, his eyes lifted to the clock above the stove and his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. It was 1:30? Where was his guest?

Pacing, Aiden found himself in the living room in front of the entrance, wondering how he was to present himself to his late guest. Was he going to accept someone who is late? Of course! Anything could have gone wrong. Who would he be to count that against him?

DINGDONG! Aiden's attention was brought to the entrance, and with a little too much excitement, he was all too eager to grab the door handle and open the wooden door only to reveal a young man with bleached blonde hair whose expression seemed to show a lack of amusement. This guy already had a duffel bag and a suitcase in his tow, which was a little more than shocking to him. This was just an interview! Aiden's excited smile faltered into a confused and anxious one as he tried to make a sense of how to go about the situation. "Uh... Come on in. What's your name?" he asked, trying to keep up a welcoming attitude.  
"Evan Sugar." The boy across from him replied simply. Aiden could have sworn that this guy was making an attempt at smiling, but it seemed to be really painful for him... maybe he needed a friend! This was the perfect opportunity for him to help someone out! He stood aside for Evan to enter the premise and then shut the door behind him. To his surprise, Evan was already making his way to the sofa for a seat and set his belongings down beside him before he propped his legs up on the table across from him. He certainly knew how to make himself at home it seemed. He had never met someone quite like this, but maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to try befriending new people. A positive attitude is always the way to go!

"Evan? Ah, I'm Aiden Valentine. You /were/ expecting an interview right?" Aiden asked uncertainly as he positioned himself in a chair across from the couch, which he had set up earlier for this one-to-one confrontation.

"That's what your email said. I like videogames and have a great personality." Evan replied in a monotone voice, his eyebrows raised as he waited for a response from his interviewer. He held his hands clasped and placed over the top of his head as if to show how relaxed he was in the situation, and it was then that Aiden came to this obvious conclusion. Of course! He had his bags already with him because he was homeless! Oh no, this poor guy! At least he was able to somehow find his ad to provide him with the opportunity to come to his home! Besides, he likes video games! He would definitely get along with this Evan guy, and perhaps once he has a roof over his head, he would be a little more cheerful. It's decided then!

Aiden beamed at the idea, totally falling in love with the idea of helping another person out to the best of his abilities. "Okay, then it's settled! You can stay! Let me take your things to the room real quick. We have another guest coming in another 10 minutes or so." he informed him as he cheerfully grabbed hold of Evan's suitcase and duffelbag. He set the luggage carefully beside the base of the bunk bed and quickly returned to the living room so as not to leave his guest in boredom for too long.  
As he entered the room, Evan's hazel eyes silently questioned and judged this strange kid as he tried to comprehend why what just happened... happened. He called that an interview? He knew from the ad that he didn't seem to know how this sort of thing worked, but was he really going to accept him without knowing practically anything about him? After all, he himself merely cited exactly what he had emailed Aiden because he was too lazy to say anything else that he might have said. This guy... could not choose anyone else without his say. Otherwise he knew he wouldn't turn anyone down! Carefully, Evan pulled his legs off the table and sat up only to lean forward to speak with Aiden more seriously, "I think I'm going to stick around the room and help you choose who else stays in this house. I've got good sense." he assured Aiden.

With this, the next interviewee arrived, right on time. Aiden answered the door with his normal cheery nature returning once more, though this time he wasn't confronted with such a lack of amusement. The guy at the door had a pleasant smile on his face, and he even wore a button-up shirt to give himself a nice appearance! "Is this the right place for the roommate interview?" he asked, checking the paper in his hand that he had printed off from his email.

Aiden nodded eagerly, already pleased by this first impression as per usual. It was very difficult for him to not be pleased by someone else's presence. "Come on in! You can join us in the living room." He stepped to the side to allow the stranger to walk inside. He seemed nice...For now.

Once this newcomer stepped into the building, Aiden closed the door and followed after him, teetering back and forth on his feet once they came to a stop to discuss. "What's your name?"

"Chad Lang."

"Chad. I like that...Well, Chad, have a seat!" Aiden suggested with great excitement as he sat back in his chair and gestured for him to take a seat on the couch beside Evan. This was going very well! At this rate, he could have his roommates picked by the end of the day quite possibly!

"Thanks." Chad smiled appreciatively as he took a step toward the couch and sat next to Evan and offered a sort of nervous smiled to him simply to be polite. "Hey."

"No," Evan said plainly, and quickly at that. Immediately after his foot made contact with the dark brown, wooden floor, he could smell a stench emanating from his entire body, clothing and all.

"No?" Aiden asked with alarm, looking at Evan as a confused expression replaced his once excited appearance. Why didn't he agree? For being such a chill seeming guy, he was certainly quick in making decisions such as these it seemed.

"No." Evan repeated as he moved away from Chad and resituated himself on the opposite side of the couch, leaving a cushion between them. He smelled of cigarette smoke, and he could not and would not live with someone who would constantly smell like that, who allowed his belongings to carry the stench, or even who may have the possibility of smoking inside the home…Absolutely not. "He smells of smoke…"

"I do smoke," Chad chimed in to confirm his statement, watching Evan's reaction to him with slight apprehension. He was very aware that Evan completely judged him by his habit, which he knew could be a problem for some people. He completely understood, though it kind of sucked that this meant he couldn't stay here. It seemed like a nice place.

Well...That didn't turn out the way he had imagined it would. Aiden remembered what Evan had said about having good sense… "Ah, well...That is a bit of a problem. My mom doesn't want a smoker in the house. But it was nice to meet you, Chad!" He went from thoughtful to cheery in 0 to 100. These interviews were going very quickly...At this rate, they would be waiting forever until the next interviews and maybe he won't have all of his roommates by the end of the day...

Chad saw himself out after the decision was made, not entirely disappointed by the outcome. There would be other opportunities elsewhere, and he knew that.

"There's maybe twenty minutes until our next interview... I can show you around the house!" Aiden suggested as he smiled at Evan, trying everything he could to get him to open up, to smile...Anything! "What do you say?"

"Sure, I guess." Evan shrugged, not really giving it much thought. As far as he was concerned, he would have to know where things were located...He just wished this alien creature of a person would stop giving him such a goofy look. It was obnoxious.

"Follow me, and I will take you on the grand tour!" Aiden hopped onto his feet, swaying in an attempt to regain his balance after standing so quickly. Was Evan giving in and getting warmed up? He was definitely going to find out!

Evan got up and followed him, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked. He wasn't all that impressed by the house itself: three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and kitchen. It was a normal family house...To him, at least. Sure, add 5 more guys in there and let it become a testosterone paradise. He almost cringed at the thought...He returned his gaze to the back of Aiden's head, realizing he was speaking to him. "What?" His monotone voice never ceased.

"What year are you?" Aiden asked again, not really bothered by having to repeat himself. He was beginning to wonder if this was a normal attitude for this guy...

"Sophomore." Evan responded. He wasn't going to give any more information than was necessary. He barely knew the guy that had given him the spot as roommate, and it wasn't like him to spout out personal things to just anybody.

"Sophomore...Cool! Well, I'm a freshman! So...I guess I can ask you how things go, huh?" Aiden seemed very pleased by this. Evan was a year ahead of him, _and_ liked video games? It was just getting better and better! "You must know where all the cool campus hangouts are!"

"Campus hangouts…?" Evan wasn't quite sure if he really knew where any cool hangouts were on campus. Usually those belonged to the smoking/drug crowd, and he was definitely not a part of those. Though he could picture Aiden being one of those partiers that get in trouble for being too loud or too rowdy. "Depends on what you're into, I guess…"

"Oh? Really?" Aiden looked back at him momentarily. "Well, that's something for later on! Here's the first bedroom." He pointed to the door to his left, and then gestured to his right with his thumb. "That's the second room. We'll share that one, since I'll have my video game set up in there."

Evan nodded slowly. At least he was going to get to play video games this semester…"Okay...What about the bathrooms?"

"There's a bathroom down the hall and to the right, and there's one in the master bedroom. I'm leaving that to whoever moves into that room. Both are pretty much the same, though." Aiden gave him a smile. "The other room is also on the left side down there, across from the bathroom." He gestured back down the hall towards the living room. "How about we go back to the living room and wait for the other guest to arrive?"

Evan nodded again and turned back around to walk away from Aiden. He was unsure if his decision to stay in the house was a good one. In all honesty, he would have preferred to be alone. He could have applied for a single room on campus, but something had told him to apply for the roommate position, and it bugged him. He didn't know how well it would work out for him to share a room with an overly lively alien freshman. He took back his seat on the couch and propped his feet up on the table once more.

Aiden returned to his chair and looked Evan over again. It was becoming apparent to him that maybe the attitude he had put on was so that no one could tell that he was having troubles! It made perfect sense! He couldn't actually be so apathetic, right? Once he got settled in and made new friends, he would be just fine! He really was going to help someone, after all! "What games do you like to play?" he asked, trying to lift the mood. Maybe that would be what would open him up!

"I dunno…" Evan stared at his hands, watching the way his fingers moved when they flexed. "I got back into console games recently...Especially with the new releases of Pokemon and Zelda."

This guy liked Pokémon? Aiden was _really_ impressed. "Anything else?" He was so excited to know what games they could play together...it was killing him now!

"Mario. It's one of my favorites, really. I grew up with it. Played on the Nintendo 64 and the original Gameboy…" Evan trailed off, realizing he had begun to ramble on about himself. "But I'll play anything, I suppose…"

Aiden was beginning to idolize him. He hadn't heard as many words from Evan's mouth than when he was talking about the video games he liked. He knew it was going to be the one thing that would help him come out of his apathetic slump. "I think we'll have a lot of fun playing games together, Evan!"

"Yeah…" Evan looked over at him and tried his best to return even a little bit of a smile to acknowledge the positivity that Aiden was spouting at him, though he couldn't help but wonder if he was going to survive the first week…

Not long after, the next interviewee arrived at the house and knocked on the door. Aiden got up quickly, made his shirt look presentable, and ran to the door only to pull it open with the same excitement he's held for each person he's interview thus far. "Welcome! What's your name?" he asked quickly, extremely happy to see another smiling face on the other side of the door. Evan's introduction had greatly shocked him, and he wondered if the next person at the door would give him the same treatment each time.

"Troy Henson! Boy am I glad to be here! I have been looking forward to this since I got your email response!" The guy, Troy, was peppy...peppier than Aiden in some strange and terrifying way. "May I come in? We can get chatting right away! I think we can become good friends!"

"Definitely!" Aiden moved aside. "Go ahead and have a seat on the couch!" He liked this guy. He was happy, and it dispersed in the air around him like a disease- A good disease! He watched him get seated beside Evan, and even with a questioning glance from him, didn't falter in his attitude. Man, he wished he had been that tough! "So, Troy, what can you tell me about yourself?" he asked as he sat in his chair once more.

"Well, I get along with _everyone_! And I mean everyone." He looked over at Evan, giving him a big smile. Whoever this was hadn't introduced himself yet, but he assumed that this guy sitting beside him was a roommate that had been picked out from the interviews as well. At least there were plenty of spots available, so his chances for being picked were high he assumed. "And I like meeting new people!"

Evan couldn't keep the judgement from his expression at all. This newcomer was worse than Aiden, and he was beginning to think of him as being actually bearable. He would rather be around Aiden for weeks on end than to be with Troy for an hour, and that's saying something. "Yeah.. It's noticeable.." he said, cringing at the fact that he actually spoke to the human being that sat beside him. He looked over at Aiden, unsure as to whether or not he could tell the obvious discomfort that he felt about the whole situation. Evan was staring right at him, as if waiting to hear his opinion. He had given it very quickly for the last one. With a sigh, he collected himself before he could say anything that would get him in trouble in the future. "Thanks for showing up and giving us your information...We'll get back to you as soon as we can."

Troy was surprised by Evan's comment, considering he had only just stepped into the house not so long ago and wasn't even asked any of the typical interviewing questions. He wasn't even the owner of the house! His eyes shifted over to Aiden and then back to Evan, looking between them a couple of times. "You're not gonna ask me anything else? Like, if I have any strange habits or things like that?" This guy, still unintroduced to Troy, was sounding a bit apprehensive about letting him stay.

"Well, the fact that you have to ask that suggests that you might... and we can keep that under consideration... But there are more interviews we have to conduct before we can have a final answer." Evan was becoming slightly annoyed at the lack of acknowledgment his words had received. If this guy really cared about people, he would respect what he was saying...Though he wouldn't say that out loud-not unless he really pushed his buttons.

Troy looked at Aiden. "When should I expect to hear back?" He wanted to hear it from the voice of the one that was actually doing the roommate selection. He could get along with everyone, but that didn't mean he would let people catch an attitude with him.

"Well, I have interviews still today and some tomorrow...So, tomorrow night, most likely." Aiden smiled, trying to put reassurance into the conversation. Evan was very blunt with his words, and while he could tell he wasn't all that pleased with the personality of the guy, he was kind of proud that he didn't just outright say no. He had actually tried to make the guy feel as if he was being given the chance among the other candidates. "I appreciate you coming out, and I'll inform you when I have the results!"

"No problem, I will be waiting to hear back!" And with that, another interviewee was out the door.

Once Troy was gone, Aiden returned to his seat and glanced at Evan. He knew this guy had a heart and soul somewhere-he was able to hold his tongue through Troy's whole spiel! Though Aiden knew that someone with that type of personality might be a little too much for their apartment to handle. He knew he could be just as rambunctious as Troy could be, and that would be overload for everyone in the house! He had to think of the others! And as much as he would have loved to be surrounded by people that were just like him, he had decided that he would get people with all types of personalities so he could befriend all kinds of people. "We have just a few more interviews today," he informed Evan, though he figured he already knew that by what he had said to Troy. "I appreciate your help with the choosing. I wanted to do a kind of melting pot, you know?"

Evan nodded slightly, though he wasn't entirely sure what that meant. A melting pot? Like, fondue? Did he want fondue to share? "Melting pot…?" he asked, uncertain. He couldn't mean the food kind of melting pot, right?

"A mixture of people!" Aiden exclaimed. "You know, like America? The Melting Pot!"

He seemed to be a bit too happy about his history reference for Evan's liking. "I see.." So no, not food. Though, that sounded pretty good.. "Do you have food in this place?" He felt kinda bad for already asking about eating, but at the same time, he had gotten off the plane not long before he had showed up for his interview. "I haven't really eaten since this morning.. And airplane food isn't the best."

Airplane food? Evan had been on an airplane? Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that? Aiden face palmed himself, disregarding that Evan would have no idea why he was doing it. He wasn't homeless, he was traveling back from home! "I have some, but not very much. I still have to go to the store."

Evan didn't really care about the amount of food or what type; he was hungry period. "Any food is good food…" He shuffled his feet to the kitchen, not sure where to look but willing to search the entire room to find something, /anything/ to eat.

The next two interviews flew by as well, even with Evan stuffing his face in the kitchen. He would give his input between taking slurps of chicken flavored ramen as he looked into the living room from where he sat at the breakfast bar facing the guest and Aiden. Despite his original impression of Aiden, the way he was handling the interviews since his own was changing to be more structured, with better questions. He was learning, and it showed that he was actually serious about pleasing him when it came to their other roommates. He didn't have to put his two cents into the conversation as often as he had at first.

He was curious, then, how Aiden was going to handle their next interview. The moment Evan saw the man walk through the door, he instantly recognized him. Jin Kasey...One of the more serious people he had seen on Berea's campus. He would not mind at all if Jin became one of their roommates. He figured he would be respectful of the space and a great contrast to the extremely rambunctious nature of Aiden. He would be someone that he could relate to.

Once inside, Jin Kasey promptly gave a slight bow and offered a handshake to Aiden along with a pleasant smile to show his appreciation for being allowed this interview. His Korean features revealed his lineage, and even the way he carried himself was proof of his nationality. He seemed to be very respectful. "It is nice to meet you. My name is Jin. And you are Aiden Valentine?" he asked just to make sure he was pronouncing the name correctly, his weak accent clearly of Asian origin. His English was actually pretty good!  
Aiden couldn't help but be amazed by Jin's formal aura that he seemed to have and was absolutely thrilled to be meeting a foreigner! "Yeah, that's me! Grab yourself a seat, and we'll get started." he invited him cheerfully as he closed the door and made his way to his usual interviewer seat and gestured for Jin to take a seat across from him on the couch.

Jin was more than surprised to be meeting someone as obnoxious as Aiden, but honestly the happy personality he held really wasn't a bad thing and could certainly be helpful at college. He himself was a rather optimistic person, but he definitely allowed his serious nature to take over most of the time. He was more of an introvert than anything. As he sat himself across from Aiden, he awaited the questioning with almost no signs of nervousness at all, that is for the exception of one thing… his leg was constantly bobbing up and down. Otherwise he seemed to be completely calm!  
"So… do you like dogs or cats?" Aiden asked out of the blue. This was the first time he was interviewing someone without the assistance of Evan, so he was practically blank on what questions were proper for this situation. Besides, the type of animal someone likes actually can say a lot about someone's personality, or at least that's what he's heard!  
"Uh… dogs. I like cats, but I believe I'm more of a dog person." Jin answered uncertainly, rather confused by this strange question. Was there a reason this was the first question posed to him? Was there meaning behind it? Perhaps he was thinking of getting a pet?

Evan stared at the two from his seat at the breakfast bar and took a moment to just close his eyes as a pained expression fell upon his face into a grimace, his hand raising to perform a slow face palm. Did he really just ask that? Was he not paying attention to what kinds of things he himself had asked or mentioned in these interviews? Seriously… With a sigh of exasperation, he stood from his seat and decided to join the two in the living room, leaving his empty bowl on the counter and then sitting on the far side of the couch to help interview Jin. Aiden just needed help… "Just how well do you get along with others?" he immediately asked just to cut to the chase. He had only heard of his reputation, but he didn't know him personally.

Jin's eyes averted to the speaker that now questioned him, rather surprised by his interruption and his lack of introduction. Even with this slightly intimidating person interrogating him all of a sudden, he remained calm and thoughtfully gave an answer, "... I get along with everyone I believe. There's no one I greatly dislike." he replied simply. He didn't think they were looking for a lengthy response; it was better to be precise.

Really? No one, not one soul? Was it even possible for someone to like everyone? Then again, he could always just dislike someone a little instead of greatly. Evan narrowed his eyes at Jin as if questioning whether or not this was true, but he was nevertheless satisfied enough with the answer to move on to one of the more classic questions, "What are your hobbies?"  
"Ah, what I like to do… I like playing video games, playing intramural soccer and volleyball, and I guess reading." Jin replied with only a small portion of his list of hobbies. He figured he should include video games because of Aiden's ad, but otherwise he just chose hobbies from his list at random!

Interesting... he seemed to be the athlete type, but he also had a few indoor activities that were similar to his own, so he didn't seem to be that hard to get along with. Evan considered this for a moment and then thought of a question that might be helpful in sealing the decision. True, he had only asked two questions, but Evan was confident in his judgement skills and had no need to interrogate him. "What can you bring to this household?"

What… can he bring? That was actually a really good question… There had to be a reason why they should allow him to stay with them, so he needed to find an answer that would grab their attention! But… what kind of answer would that be? He pondered on this for a moment as he considered what college students generally need when staying at an apartment or dorm with other people. What did others look for in their roommates? Personality, of course, but… oh! Many times, Jin has overheard the complaints of others, including his friends, about the cafeteria food on campus, and there was a possibility Aiden and his friend would have mutual feelings. "... I can cook. I mean, I can cook Korean dishes better than anything, but I've learned how to make American foods as well over the years I've spent here." he replied with more confidence in his answer than he had expected from himself.

Evan raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed by his claim to be able to cook. He himself was not exactly a chef, and he could practically guarantee that Aiden wasn't either, considering the selection of food and ingredients he held in the kitchen (or lack thereof). Plus, Aiden seemed to be absolutely delighted by this answer. "Well then, I think that's all," Evan decided before giving a nod of approval to Aiden.  
Aiden perked up when he was given the chance to regain his spokesman position and was absolutely thrilled that Evan was giving his approval to someone at last! He thought he would never choose someone! "Do you have your things with you? If so, you can go ahead and move in with us," he went ahead and suggested to Jin.

Immediately Jin's leg stopped moving, and somehow he seemed to become relieved when he didn't even look that stressed to begin with! Was he really accepted? That was easy! The corners of his mouth raised to form a small smile as he became less tense in the body as well, "Ah, no… I still have to grab my things from my previous apartment. Would you mind if I move in tomorrow morning?"

"Of course! Any time after 10:00 should be okay; just call me when you're on your way. My number is listed on the ad. Oh, and we will be interviewing more people around 1:00, so you know," Aiden replied with an enthusiastic smile. The three of them exchanged thanks and goodbyes (or nods in Evan's case), and finally the last interview was finished once the door was closed behind their newest roommate. Aiden was excited for the next day with the thought that Jin would be officially living with them, and he would know exactly who his other two roommates would be.


	2. Chapter 2: Those Who Follow

**Chapter 2: Those Who Follow**

The next morning, around 8:45, Evan shuffled into the kitchen to get a drink. Aiden was still sleeping when he slipped out of the room, and his mouth was begging to be freed from how dry it had become. He had been kept up late in the night by Aiden who had insisted he stay in his room for the night because there would be a bed for him. As many times as he had tried to politely decline and tried to tell him the floor would be fine, he gave in so he wouldn't have to hear the boy whine. He searched in the fridge for milk or juice, but then settled on a bottle of water that was on one of the shelves. He wasn't yet accustomed to the new place, and considering he had been home for the break, he was still getting used to the fact that he was back in Berea… Back for school.

Evan sat on the couch in the living room, still trying to wake himself up completely. He was a little peeved that Aiden had the audacity to keep him up so late, and then have an alarm set for the morning that he himself wouldn't wake up for. He knew that with the addition of Jin to the roommate list, he would literally _beg_ him to allow him to become his actual roommate. He sighed, and allowed himself to fall over on the couch, head falling just barely an inch away from the arm rest. The situation had become more convoluted than he had expected it to, though there was still the glimmer of hope that he could room with Jin. He gave up, and allowed himself to close his eyes. Maybe he could get a little more sleep before Jin would get there with his things.

"Evan..." A voice invaded Evan's subconscious, dragging him back into the land of the awake and living. He opened his eyes, giving Aiden a glare as he realized who the voice came from that woke him from his beautiful slumber. "Did you come and sleep out here?" Aiden's tone indicated his concern, mainly that Evan hadn't been comfortable during the night.

"No," Evan said flatly, sitting up. "I came out here after your alarm this morning and fell back asleep...Why would you even set an alarm for 8:30 if you weren't going to wake up for it anyway?" He looked up at him, the annoyance he had felt returning to take shape in his words.

Aiden tilted his head slightly. "My alarm went off at 8:30?" He sounded genuinely confused by this information. "I didn't wake up for it."

"Obviously..." Evan muttered. "I had to get up and shut it off for you…" It made him wonder just how deep of a sleeper Aiden was, and compared to his own generally light sleeping habits, he had to be the deepest sleeper he had ever met. He couldn't even fathom how he managed to get up on time for anything. "What time is it, anyway?"

"I had my second alarm set for 10:00," Aiden responded, scratching the back of his head. "So... Jin should be here any moment with his things. You don't mind helping move him in, do you?" As much as Evan had approved of their new roommate, he wasn't sure what boundaries he had when it came to what he would and wouldn't do, and he wasn't sure how to ask without the fear he would think it rude.

"I don't mind…" Evan stood up and stretched out his back. The couch was comfortable to sit on, but to lie on for long periods of time, not so much. "It'll get done faster this way."

"True that!" Aiden went and peeked out the door, curious to see if he was there yet. A car was pulled up against the curb, and Jin was unloading things from it diligently with help from another guy he assumed had come with him to help. "Come on!" Aiden beckoned Evan as he walked to the door excitedly. "He's here!" He opened the door and called out to him, "Jin! We're coming, okay?" He turned back inside to look at Evan before he grabbed his shoes and scrambled to put them on his feet.

Evan sauntered over to the door to get his shoes as well, not as enthusiastically as Aiden. As positive as he had tried to seem about helping out, he wasn't exactly looking forward to lugging things into the house. They only had a limited time before school would start again, and he didn't exactly plan to use those days moving around heavy things. He had a more... Lazy idea in mind: video games, lounging around the house, and eating delivery pizza for the few days before food service would open again.

Thankfully for Evan, Jin didn't have a great amount of luggage to haul in, plus he already had the help of a friend of his that he had met the previous year at Berea. Rhodon Hope, a sophomore this year, was living in the same neighborhood as Jin over the summer, so he offered a ride to take him back to the Berea campus where he was apparently moving to. Without a moment to lose, Rhodon's helpful nature kicked in, and he was quick to get in on the action, assisting Jin in unloading the car.

Once Aiden arrived on the scene, Jin paused from the task at hand and grabbed Rhodon's attention, gesturing for him to meet Aiden, "Rhodon, this is Aiden Valentine. Aiden, this is Rhodon Hope." he introduced them simply to be polite before throwing his backpack over his shoulder and picking up a box in one hand and his suitcase in the other. He waited patiently for the two to greet each other so that he could follow Aiden into the house. Because he wasn't officially living in the home yet, he wasn't particularly comfortable walking in without him leading, at least upon arrival.  
Rhodon beamed at Aiden, somehow pleased to be meeting someone that Jin would be staying with for the entire year at Berea. He personally had only gotten to actually know Jin during his second semester, but that didn't change the fact that he wanted him to be happy with his new living arrangement! "Hey, how are you doing?" he greeted him casually, but in a friendly manner. Of course, he was only saying this as though to say that it was nice to meet him, but Aiden was all too ready to answer his question!  
"Great, actually. Thanks for asking! How are you? Also, where are you from? You don't exactly have the country accent or anything…" Aiden remarked with curiosity as he assisted in picking up a box of what seemed to be cooking supplies while Rhodon grabbed a box of the cooking ingredients to go along with that. The three of them headed into the house, but not once did the two stop conversing with one another.  
"I couldn't be any better myself. I'm originally from Canada, but my family moved to New York when I was twelve years old, so I guess I'm considered a bit of a New Yorker now." Rhodon laughed as he followed them inside.

Evan didn't even act mildly interested in this new guest, but what he did find to be absolutely annoying and far beyond his grasp of understanding was the fact that he PUT ON HIS SHOES. He was prepared to go outside and help out when he didn't want to in the first place. He put a little kindness out there because it was only right. BUT THIS WAS DONE IN VAIN. The car… it was empty. Everything was taken care of; all that Jin had 'needed help with' was in the arms of the three people that just passed him. With a roll of his eyes, Evan muttered a few curse words under his breath as he turned on his heel and retraced his steps back into the house, closing the door behind him. Evan was so bitter about the entire situation that he stopped Aiden in his tracks by grabbing hold of his shoulder only to throw his hand into the box he held and pull out a saucepan. Slightly satisfied, he gestured for the group to continue on, ignoring the odd and confused expressions plastered on their faces. Didn't it make sense that he didn't want his efforts to be a waste of his time? If he did something, there was ALWAYS a reason. So, with the saucepan in hand, he joined the group that ventured first into the kitchen to put the cookware away. "Where do you want this?" he asked, turning his attention to Aiden once more, still ignoring the look on his face.

Aiden tried to understand Evan's reasoning behind the singular pan in his hand, even with him asking where he wanted it to be put, but at least he was putting in a little effort! "Um... In that bottom cabinet there..?" Was it Evan's attempt at participating in the move in? Out of place, a little strange, but all the same, it made him smile.

"Oh..! This reminds me." Rhodon remarked excitedly as a thought popped into his head at the sight of the ingredients packed in the box he set down on the floor. "I have a few coupons for a Chinese buffet down the road across from Walmart if you guys are interested. The food isn't /that/ bad for a buffet, and it would save all this food for another time." he suggested as he looked from one person to the other to see what they had to say.  
"Are you kidding?! I love that place! I agree it's not the greatest place, but when you're hurting for a little Asian food, it's like a saving grace." Aiden chimed in, absolutely thrilled by Rhodon's offer. "Add in the fact that it'll be free, and we have the chance to get to know each other- it just makes everything better!" He was sure the others would agree too! A little outing just sounded absolutely perfect.

The idea of free food was definitely an appealing one, but get to know each other? Evan was very hesitant about the matter because he personally wasn't interested in making new relationships due to the ones he had previously experienced in his life. He didn't need relationships. "I don't know... Don't we have a lot to do today?" he asked in response in an attempt to get rid of the chance to go.

"We have a few hours, I don't see why it should be a problem. Actually, I have been meaning to attend that restaurant. I have been here nearly three years, and somehow my friends have not asked me to go. I would like to try." Jin remarked in agreement with Aiden. He could tell Evan was really just making up excuses to stay at the house, but as curious as he was, he didn't ask him why or anything. It was his own business after all, and because he was a stranger, he had no right to ask.

"Okay, then let's get this done and go then! My stomach is already making crazy noises." Rhodon laughed as he assisted Jin in placing some of the food ingredients inside the cabinets above the kitchen counter. He and Aiden seemed to be quite unaware of why Evan was so hesitant, but who could blame them? They didn't know him on a personal level, and frankly, they weren't the most observant people either. Apparently they were all going!

Evan breathed a small, silent sigh as the decision was made, but he made no argument against it. It was three against one, and he just didn't care to speak out about it. He would be living with two of these people, so might as well begin to understand a little about them anyways.

Only fifteen minutes had passed before the group was able to leave for the restaurant, mainly because very little was able to be done with the lack of furniture currently in the house. Upon their arrival at the restaurant, a waitress of Chinese ethnicity showed the group to their seats before they were released to the buffet area. Jin had actually asked for a larger table, for reasons unknown, so they were taken to one of the larger group tables that remained in the center area of the restaurant. The four of them dispersed throughout the room to the foods of their personal liking, and one by one they all returned to their seats.

Evan was the first to be seated with a single plate of steamed rice and a variety of meats he placed in front of him. His eyes fixed upon the dishes that each of the group members brought with them, curious to see what they had decided to eat and maybe even to see the amount as well. Such things told him a lot about the person he was getting to know. He observed as Rhodon sat across from him with a single plate of similar items to his own as well as a smaller dish of sushi as a side. He was a sushi kind of person? Interesting... So he wasn't terribly picky, he seemed to like to section off the types of foods on his plates, and he didn't eat that much... Though perhaps he would go back for more. Perhaps this meant he was a pretty well-organized person.

Next to sit down was Aiden, who, to Evan's dismay, took the liberty to sit beside him, holding a plate in each hand while another rested upon his inner elbow. Carefully Aiden set all three down and immediately began eating once ready to do so. This came as no surprise at all to Evan. His plates were a hot mess of combined meats, sauces, and rice... just like his personality. However, his hazel eyes tore away from the boy next to him when he spotted Jin approaching the table holding two plates of his own. Okay, so he was norm- wait. Both plates contained only rice. Lots of it. Not just that, but Jin didn't sit down either. He left as soon as he had arrived, just to grab himself more food from the buffet. This happened not once, not twice, but three times. THREE. Jin had a total of eight plates at his disposal, all of which were unique in some way. After the first two rice plates, every plate held a different type of meat or noodle or whatever he happened to have the liking for. None of it was mixed.

Evan, Aiden, and Rhodon all stared with their mouths agape as he finally sat himself down to join them. How could this... this tall, scrawny Korean guy eat eight plates full of food and not gain anything? Evan's eyebrows knitted together as he tried to comprehend just what kind of person this guy was. Completely organized... Not a flaw in any of his sorted foods, and he could assume he was the same way with his living situations. But… if he ate this much, how in the world was he supposed to cook for them when they decided to eat at the house? He'd eat everything! He might as well turn the cooking pot into a bowl for himself! He could imagine it now... Jin announcing a dinner of hot, steamed rice and some sort of Korean dish he knew nothing about... The smell of the food would linger throughout the house, arousing a hunger in all of their stomachs. And when all of the other roommates including himself hurried into the kitchen for a bite to eat, there… there would sit Jin with the entire pot of rice placed in front of him on the dining room table, pouring the chicken or beef or whatever onto it with no hesitance at all... And the very spoon he used to cook it all with would be the utensil he used to shove it all into his mouth... The four of them would be standing in the doorway, staring as Jin ate all of the food he had made... and when Jin finally noticed them, darts would fly out of his eyes, as if to show his claim over the food was to be shared with no one.

"Evan! Hello~. You okay there?" Aiden called to his fellow roommate as he waved his left hand in front of his face with concern. Evan held the expression of someone who was confused, possibly offended, and maybe even a little mad… Had he eaten something that didn't sit well with his stomach while he was still grabbing his own food? Was he trying to figure out what it was that was making him feel unwell? Was he mad that he couldn't figure it out?

Evan's head twitched to the side as his eyes finally broke away from whatever concentrated spot they were fixed on. Immediately, he was once again immersed into reality at the table. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" he questioned Aiden with quite the disgusted look upon his face. In fact… why were ALL of them staring?

"You seemed a little spaced out is all. I think Aiden was just worried; no need to be upset." Rhodon assured him, as though that was supposed to make him feel better. People should always be appreciative of those who worry for them... it shows how much they are cared for and loved.

Evan glanced over at Rhodon with a raised eyebrow before clearing his throat and lowering his eyes to his plate. His hand then reached for the silverware that lay beside his cup, but he paused when he realized... that silverware didn't include chopsticks. He forgot to ask the waitress! Again, he lifted his eyes to examine where the chopsticks might be accessible, but low and behold- there were three pairs lying at arm's length away to his left. While observing the chopstick placement, he just happened to catch a glimpse of Jin practically stuffing his face with Chow Mein noodles as his chopsticks guided the soft noodles into his large, gaping mouth. It was like watching items being fed through a machine… it never ceased. He didn't know why, but something deep inside him caused him to feel anxious... as though he was worried that Jin might choke. He didn't want to be a witness in something as serious as that! He had no CPR skills whatsoever, and if Jin's life depended on his CPR skills to bring him back to the living, there was no way that HE of all people was going to be the one to do it. "Hey, hey, slow down, will you? You're making me nervous." Evan finally spoke up to the newest roommate. Didn't he even want to enjoy the food?

Jin paused in the middle of a strand of noodles to obtain eye contact with Evan, a completely innocent expression plastered on his face. His deep brown eyes reflected the fact that he was questioning what exactly was wrong with the act he was doing. Carefully, he kneaded the rest of the strand of noodles into his mouth, chewed, and then swallowed before finally speaking up, "Are you worried? I won't choke; I enjoy eating my food this way. Please, eat and don't worry." he flashed him a smile, humbled by the fact that Evan of all people cared enough to ask him to slow down so that he didn't choke. Immediately after speaking, though, he returned to eating just like before.

"It's true; this is entirely normal for him to eat this way. It's a little nerve-wracking at first, I'll admit, but you get used to it. I don't think anyone could defeat him in an eating contest!" Rhodon pointed out with a grin of sorts towards Evan as he himself continued eating with a fork in hand. It seemed he didn't know how to use chopsticks, though there was always the possibility that he just didn't feel like using them today…

Evan wasn't exactly sure how to react to the comments he was given, because he felt that no matter what he said, his voice was always overridden. So, without another glance to his fellow tablemates, he grabbed a pair of chopsticks and finally began eating and didn't stop at all to take part in conversations that erupted at the table as the time passed. He only responded with a sound of agreement or a facial expression when his input was deemed necessary.

Meanwhile, even though Jin was quite busy shoving all sorts of food into his mouth, his eyes were constantly observing the others around him. Evan in particular caught his eye because he had become distant after the comment he had made about his eating habit. He wasn't entirely sure what was on his mind, but this would definitely be something to look into. Why was it so hard for Evan to take part in these conversations, and why was there a wall between him and everyone else? Jin was accustomed to being responsible for people of all ages younger than eighteen, so he had the gift of being able to read someone like a book as time went on. So, rather than harboring on the fact he didn't understand him right now, he left well enough alone and ate in peace, knowing that this mystery would be solved eventually.

As for Rhodon, he was a little confused as to why the aura of the table was so tense. He wasn't aware of the fact that Aiden and Evan had only just met yesterday, and he wasn't even aware that this was normal for Evan to be such an introvert. For all he knew, Evan could just be having a bad day. Hopefully his day would gain a little sunshine as it went on... Still, he was grateful for Aiden's presence because it definitely lifted his spirit. He felt welcomed, and that in and of itself was an amazing feeling to experience.

As the four of them finished up their meals, a total of six plates had been eaten by Aiden, but the rest of them remained with the same amount of dishware they had begun with. Also, Aiden actually had decided to raise a question to Rhodon, simple because he had grown to like this new acquaintance, "Say, Rhodon, do you have a place to stay over the school year? If not, you're welcome to stay with us. I'm still missing two more roommates." he offered with a smile, hoping that he would agree to it.

Rhodon took a moment to sip his glass of water and set the cup down as a frown came to his lips, "Actually... I'm not sure I can. I have an interview later today for being a roommate, and I'm hoping that goes well. If not though, I'll contact Jin and let you know whether or not I can accept. Thanks for the offer." he said as he forced a smile back to his lips. Aiden didn't seemed too happy about his response, but he completely understood prior engagements were unavoidable. Was it bad that he hoped his interview didn't go well?

This conversation that had emerged between the two left both Jin and Evan questioning something inside their minds… Both of them seemed to have gears turning in their heads as they considered everything they knew to be correct… So, Aiden was holding an interview later today… And Rhodon also said that he was being interviewed later today, but he failed to mention where and by who… What if..? Jin and Evan exchanged looks of speculation, and the simple fact that both of them were considering the possibility made it seem even more like a coincidence. Did Aiden and Rhodon not want to look into this a little farther? Well if not, they didn't mind staying silent until the time came for the answer to pop up later.

Once the group had finished dining at the restaurant, Rhodon paid for his own meal and used the coupons for the others'. He was definitely grateful that a friend had given these to him, though he hadn't really expected to need them. He followed the others to the car, and after he had positioned himself in the driver's seat and made sure everyone was buckled up, he began the drive back to the house. "Jin, you said you hadn't been here before, right? How did you like it, I mean... for oriental food? I know it's not the best stuff available, but it's not too bad when you're at a college."

Jin had taken the window seat in the back to allow Aiden up front, and currently he was staring out the window, watching as the traffic and landscape flew past them. "How did it taste? Um... that would be... as the Americans say, like cardboard. I didn't quite understand the meaning of that when I first came here, and I assumed that my friends were being very literal when they said so. I thought... did they eat cardboard? It was very unexpected. They did end up explaining to me, that it was just expression, so I say this to you in same way. The food was not of high quality, but it wasn't the worst either." he replied, leaving the comment at that. After a few moments, however, he realized he may have been rude and spoke up once more to show his gratitude, "Ah, Rhodon... thank you for taking us. I said it wasn't so good, but was very nice. Better than Berea's food service. I would come again," he added, this time facing the driver with a softness in his eyes. He hoped he hadn't offended him.

It tasted like cardboard? Evan's eyebrows raised at the usage of the metaphor, finding the comment to be rather... misplaced. The food wasn't at all that bad, especially compared to food service! If he says that this restaurant was like cardboard, what did he refer to Berea's food as? Honestly, he didn't think Jin disliked the food that much once he finished his piece on the matter; perhaps he just lacked another metaphor. He seemed to eat enough of it, so he couldn't have hated it. Or was he too polite to not eat it? This guy was weird...

Rhodon's eyes lifted to the rearview mirror to glance at Jin once he had responded. He could tell by his expression that Jin was being sincere, and he really appreciated all he had to say on the matter. Compared to the food he was used to having in Korea and making for himself, he was sure it really did taste bad! "Oh... that reminds me. You have a couple boxes you left in the trunk. I forgot we had put anything back there." he remarked thoughtfully.

Evan's eyes formed a glare when Rhodon said that there was more luggage to be found in the car. Did he mean... that he DID have a reason to leave the house earlier? His head hit against the headrest of his seat, and slowly he rolled his head until he faced the window as he kept his mouth shut. What did he get himself into?

Little conversation was held over the next few minutes of the trip back to the house thanks to the food coma that was beginning to hit all of them. Once back at the house, even their movements were sluggish. Each stood from their seat and closed the car door only to stretch and begin walking in what seemed to be slow motion. Food coma was real. Jin and Aiden made a point to grab the boxes out of the trunk while Evan just headed straight for the door. The opportunity for him to help had passed, and he no longer cared to grab the luggage he could have carried earlier. It was their fault he didn't get it before. The three of them waved to Rhodon as he closed the trunk, and he left soon after to prepare for the rest of the day or something... Whatever he had going on. The rest of the group entered the house to await the next interview, which would be in only an hour! One could only guess what they did in that time... Zzzzz

It wasn't long at all before the interviews started, and basically… it was just like the day before, except Evan had Jin to help him run the interrogations (they were pretty in depth with Jin around). It seemed that even when Evan didn't like someone, Jin would purposely put them through an interview after it was already decided they wouldn't be chosen. He just wanted to make sure they weren't judging the interviewees by their appearances. It was better to actually know more about the individuals. So, three more of these passed and still, they agreed none of them would be able to live in the house. Surprisingly both Jin and Evan agreed on all of the decisions made.

The three of them had just finished the third interview and were waiting on the next, and all of them seemed to be rather bored in doing so. Evan sat on the window's ledge, which was just beside the front door, as he watched for the next person to approach. He liked to gain a little preview of the person before he was aware of people watching him. Jin was in the kitchen grabbing himself a glass of water before the next guest arrived, and Aiden just sat on the couch, positioned as though he was pondering something... That was odd.

As Evan watched out the window, he spotted some guy wearing a loose pair of black skinny jeans as well as a simple, loose, solid white t-shirt with an unzipped, black, hooded sweater. He seemed to be rather confused as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose to peer at a piece of paper he held in his hand. He wore on his back a smaller backpack that seemed to be stuffed to the brim with whatever was inside. He wasn't looking for this house was he? Evan watched as someone else approached the same spot this guy was standing in, and once he came to a stop beside him, he began to speak with him. The first guy didn't speak at all, but this one was able to look at his piece of paper and come to an understanding of what he needed, or at least that was the impression Evan got. After a few moments, the first one continued on his path down the sidewalk while the other began to walk up their driveway. Perhaps this was just coincidence, but was it possible that the guy that was coming had told him the wrong directions just so he could have the interview first? He couldn't help but think the worst, but... this guy really didn't seem all that innocent either.

"Hey, we've got company." Evan remarked as he stood from his seat at the window and made his way across the living room towards the door that led to the garage. "You go ahead and interview him; I'm gonna go check on something." He said to Jin before he left the room. Evan hurried through the garage door and exited the home entirely to try and catch up with the guy that had previously been in front of the house. He wasn't too far ahead, but he had to pick up a little speed to shorten the distance between them. Wait a minute... why did he seem to be going faster? Ugh... the last thing he wanted to do was participate in a workout of any sorts... "Hey-!" As soon as the word popped out of his mouth, this person just took off running! What the..?! With an exasperated sigh, he contemplated quickly over whether or not he actually should chase after him. He could be mistaken for all he knew, but his instincts told him differently. His right foot took a step backwards as he turned slightly to head back to the house, but with a few choice words flying out of his mouth, he finally convinced himself to go after the person.

Evan's eyes kept him in sight as he picked up speed to try and gain on him as he made the attempt to figure out where he was going. Honestly though, he wasn't sure this guy even had a direction. He was completely lost in the first place! The longer he raced after him, the more he realized he wasn't going to catch up without using the landscape as an advantage. Whoever this was, he was going at full speed to get away from him. As they came around the parking lot of Deep Green, Evan noticed that he was heading in the direction of the parking lot entrance to Boone Tavern while he approached Papaleno's. So without any hesitation at all, he did as much as he could to pick up his pace and ran around the front of the shopping strip to try and block him off. This was definitely the longer route of the two, but it was quite possible to succeed in catching him if traffic could delay him.

Just a little longer... just a little longer... He cursed as he tried to push himself to continue, realizing that there was a reason he hated running. After this, he wasn't going to do anything. Anything at all. Finally, he reached the stop sign at the end of the shopping strip and immediately turned to hopefully cut the guy off, but to his surprise, he crashed right into him and while he himself stumbled backwards, the guy he was chasing fell right back onto his butt. Both gasping for air, Evan immediately grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him to eye level, leaning over to make himself clear, "I…" he huffed as he tried to steady his breathing, "I am SO done chasing you right now." he said with a hint of disdain (mainly for the running bit) as he looked into the scared eyes of this.. kid. He looked like a kid. Honestly the longer Evan held him like that, the more guilty he felt in doing so; therefore, he released his shirt and allowed him a little space, though not enough for him to get away again.

This was the first time the blonde that Evan held at arm's length had actually seen Evan, considering he hadn't once looked back to see who was chasing him. The eyes of this guy were so threatening that he felt he could just melt where he knelt on the sidewalk. W-What was he going to do? Why was he even chasing him in the first place? Was he a gang member? Did he somehow do something wrong that offended him in some way? Did he want something from him? Once he was released, the poor guy quickly pulled his arms out of the straps of his backpack and pushed his belongings towards his attacker, not even daring to look him in the eyes anymore. "T-Take it! Whatever you want, it's yours!" He insisted in a rather thick English accent.

Evan quirked an eyebrow as the backpack was practically pushed into his arms, and then when he spoke… it all became clear. Wow. Heeeeee's an international. That made a lot of sense. He just scared the living crap out of this poor international kid. He breathed a very long sigh as a million curse words surged through his brain, as he tried to figure out how to amend the problem he had created. "Look... I don't want-" The international dropped hold of his bag and turned to run again once more, but he was quick to grab hold of his shoulder and spin him around to face him. No way was he going after him again! "Now just wait a second, I'm not going to kill you! Stop running and listen for a second!" he blurted out as he became more frustrated with the situation. How could he calm him down if he wouldn't let him?

The international looked as though he was about to experience some sort of hyperventilating fit of sorts the longer Evan had him under his hold, and the fear was practically emanating from the poor guy's entire aura. He just wanted to get away! He gave him his backpack already, and now he's not letting him go? S-So... it WAS him he was after! He was done for! The realization hit him pretty hard, and it was very evident that he was close to tears in that very moment.

"Hey, hey, hey… hey. Settle down." Evan asked of him as he raised his hands into a surrender pose, the international's backpack dangling from his elbow. "Look... I'm not going to hurt you." he insisted softly as he tried to assure him of it. This was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Then again, he was sure this kid had never been chased down by an American before either. Carefully he reached for the backpack's handle and lifted it from his arm only to hand it over to the guy across from him, though he didn't let go just yet, "The only reason I was chasing you was because you looked like you were lost. I saw you just outside of the house I was staying in, and someone turned you away from going in. I was pretty confident that he was telling you the wrong directions, so I was just trying to help you out. Okay?" he said as calmly and seriously as possible. He felt like he was treading on frozen water!

The international froze where he stood as Evan pulled away from him again and raised his hands to show him he wasn't after him for any bad reason. It took him a few seconds to take in everything he had to say, but slowly he began to relax a little… When he returned him his backpack, he immediately took hold of it and was ready to pull it completely towards himself to embrace his belongings, but this guy didn't let go! It was like... he was being held captive and yet not at the same time! He listened to the rest of Evan's piece and little by little it began to make sense... and he wasn't so on edge anymore. Who WAS this guy? He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Nothing.

"Can I see that sheet of paper you were holding earlier? I think that'll answer both of our questions…" Evan asked of him as he allowed him to finally take his backpack and reached out his hand for the paper. He felt that it was safe now and that he wouldn't try running again, so hopefully he was right... Man, his body felt all sore and sweaty... He definitely deserved something for this.

Hesitantly, the international pried his eyes away from Evan to pull the sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it for Evan to look at for himself. As this stranger looked over the information he had been given over the internet, he slowly pulled the backpack back over his shoulders where it belonged and awaited a response from him.

Evan's eyes traced the piece of paper left to right and top to bottom until he finished, and he pursed his lips when his instincts had been proven right. This had the address to Aiden's house for sure, and apparently he was told he would be having an interview of sorts as well. Was this serious? Shouldn't he be living in Berea's dormitories? "Well... it looks as though you were at the right place and that guy back there told you wrong. Damien, is it? I'm Evan. I'll take you back to where you're supposed to be." He said as he handed the paper back. He was relieved to have seen his name on the email he had printed off because he wasn't so sure this kid would have told him otherwise. Evan gestured for Damien to come with him, but he didn't dare let him walk behind him; this kid was a hazardous running machine. He was not going to be going on any more runs.

Damien received the paper gratefully, folded it up and placed it back in his pocket as he nodded in response to his introduction with his eyes averted to the ground. Without a word, he reluctantly followed Evan, or… walked alongside him, slightly behind him because he was being watched like a hawk. Evan really knew how to be intimidating. Hopefully he was doing the right thing listening to this stranger. For all he knew, he could be taking him somewhere he didn't want to be. He could be pretending to be someone he's not. Courage, Damien, courage.

Every minute that passed during the walk back to the neighborhood they started in was terribly excruciating for both of them. Evan was through with walking and ready to be back at the house while Damien was still contemplating whether or not he was being led to certain death. Once they reached the driveway Damien had initially found himself, however, his mind was quickly changed. He led him back! As promised! He really wasn't going to do anything to him! A small smile came to his lips as the relief washed over him, but the look that Evan gave him quickly washed it away. Why was he gesturing him to follow him still? Damien gave him an apprehensive look but continued to walk with him anyways until he was taken to the front door and even allowed inside.

Evan had no intention of waiting until this recent interviewee was done being questioned. He walked right into the house with Damien in tow, closed the door behind him and then steadily crossed the living room floor until he came to an abrupt stop beside the guy being questioned on the couch. "Hey. Get up. Your interview is over." he declared, his expression as dulled as usual, though his eyes hinted that he was quite irritable at the moment.

Jin and Aiden exchanged glances immediately after Evan's comment, and Jin himself was quick to stand in case anything happened. He didn't know Evan very well, and frankly, he didn't know whether or not something would ensue after his little remark. "Evan? What is it? He has a reason to know why you're asking him to leave." he insisted so that there could be at least a bit of resolve before everything went down.

Evan gave Jin almost a glare as he pointed at the guy that sat on the couch accusingly, "This guy… is the reason I just ran all the way around the d*** shopping area and back to get this kid over here. Damien was here first, and this a**hole told him he was at the wrong house and sent him somewhere else. He is not staying here." he informed all of them as poor Damien stood awkwardly by the door with his hands clenched tightly around his backpack's straps. Should he leave? This really wasn't the ideal situation...

The guy stood up from the couch, putting on an expression that indicated he was a little hurt by his words. "Me? I couldn't do such a thing on purpose. I read the paper wrong." He placed his hand on his chest and over his heart to express his sincerity. "Honestly. It can happen to anyone."

"I don't want to hear that bull-CRAP!" Evan pulled back on his words, attempting to reel in his anger about it all. There was a child in the room, after all. "I saw you do it, and with a smug grin on your face after you did it, too. I want you out." He kept his hands at his sides, balled into fists as if they were the only things holding all of his frustration inside.

Aiden was watching in awe more than fear. It was the most passionate he had ever seen Evan in the time that they had been together. It didn't compare to the way he sounded when he spoke about his favorite video games. He was beginning to see the red hot fire that lied beneath the apathetic exterior that he had started getting used to, and it validated his choice. Man, he was really cool…

Meanwhile, Jin was more concerned that the two guys were going to get into a fight. While he could admit Evan had said more words than he had even heard from him since they met, it was the last thing on his mind. "Evan, Paul... Please stop this…" Jin stepped forward and placed his hand up in front of Evan, gesturing for peace.

Evan looked over at Jin as he moved forward, unable to drop the anger in his look. "I want him out," he said again blatantly. "He tried to confuse Damien in an attempt to place himself first... Damien doesn't know any better... he's an international student. And he made me run."

Jin blinked at his last statement. He made him run…? His thoughts were interrupted when the bickering began once more.

"You don't know anything about me," the guy, Paul, stated, getting Evan's attention back. "You can't accuse me of nothing." His aura had become almost threatening, though Evan stared unwaveringly. Was there anything that could make him flinch? He looked past Evan's form and noticed that Damien was standing by the door. His expression shifted into a sly grin, and he pushed his way past Evan slyly. "Hey! I didn't even notice you there!"

Damien stared as Paul walked over, fear overtaking his body once more. Why did this have to happen to him? He just wanted to go to school in peace! He didn't want to be the object of a fight or an argument or whatever was going to come out of this situation... He just wanted out! He was wrenched out of his inverted moment when Paul placed his hand on his shoulder in a way that indicated friendship of a long time, but in their case, didn't even exist.

"Why don't you tell them what actually happened, huh?" Paul said, trying to coax him onto his side. "It was just all a big misunderstanding between us. No harm done, right?" He smiled a very friendly smile, nudging Damien with a squeeze to the shoulder. "Right?"

To Evan's surprise, Jin was the one to take the initiative. "It was very nice to meet you, Paul, but I believe it is time for you to go." He took hold of Damien's arm, firmly enough to pull him away from the guy that had suddenly taken up his personal space, but not tight enough to frighten him. "Thank you for answering our questions."

Damien stood at Jin's side, watching as Paul looked between them, and then the rest of the people in the room. "Yeah... Fine." He moved past Jin and Damien to grab the hat he had placed on the table in front of the couch. He glanced at Evan as he did so, still receiving no form of wavering determination from him. "See ya around," he said as he opened the door, and took his leave like a tornado at the end of a storm.

The room was quiet when the door closed. As soon as Paul was gone, Evan walked over to the couch, and without hesitation, fell upon it. For a moment, Jin was concerned about Evan's sudden collapse, but he was more concerned about the shaking he felt in his hand coming from the one Evan had called Damien. "Are you alright?" Jin asked Damien, releasing him from his grip. "Maybe you should sit down and have a glass of water."

Out of all of the things that had been happening to him, from being chased, to almost witnessing a fight, Damien appreciated the words falling from Jin's mouth. They were possibly the nicest things he had heard since arriving in the States just a few hours ago. He gave Jin several nods in response, still avoiding eye contact for the meantime. He was beyond uncomfortable here in America thus far, and he was beginning to regret coming. Was this normal for America? If so, he wasn't sure he was going to be able to get used to it...

Jin gestured for him to follow him to the kitchen and told him to sit down at the breakfast bar while he grabbed his drinks for him. He understood what he was going through as an international individual, but he really couldn't say that he had experienced the same thing on his first day in America. He himself was living in a dormitory his freshman year, and the Berea staff was very kind to him in assisting his every need when it came to where to go, who to contact, and everything related. This poor kid didn't have that cushion at all. He searched the cabinets until he was able to find a cup, which just so happened to have the image of a Pikachu printed on its rounded side, and then filled it with water that drained from the water filter located on the fridge's left door. He returned to Damien and placed the cup in front of him on the counter with a smile before leaving him to join Aiden and Evan in the living room. Jin was not pleased with how Evan handled the previous situation, and he intended to set a few things straight now that they were all to be roommates.

First, he sat himself down in a chair beside Aiden and across from the couch Evan currently sat on. He leaned forward in the chair, with his elbows resting upon his thighs as he tried to think of what to say. He closed his eyes for a moment as he thought of how to be constructive with what he was going to tell Evan without being offensive. He didn't need to blow a fuse of any sorts, now that he knew he had one. "Evan… Next time, please… PLEASE… try and be careful about what you say to people you don't know. I'm sure all of us would like to avoid arguments and especially fights. Anyways... Damien's a little shaken up, so I think we should give him a bit of space until he's ready. What did you do to him while you were out? You /chased/ him?"

Evan seemed unamused by Jin's attempt at talking him into peaceful conversations, but he did acknowledge to himself that it was a little risky. He didn't know why he didn't control himself better. Actually... he did. All this time, his voice was not heard when spoken, at least in his opinion. So when this moment came, he wanted all of them to hear loud and clear that Paul was NOT staying and for good reason, too. His cause was justified. He could have held his anger in, but then what would have happened? Damien would have been left in a more awkward situation than before because he's already learned that he's too soft spoken. And if he hadn't interrupted the interview would Jin have decided he was a good guy? THAT was the question. "Jin, Aiden… before you knew about this, did you like Paul?" he completely ignored the other questions Jin had to ask because he felt this was more important at the moment.

"Yeah… yeah we did. He seemed like a good guy, and he held similar interests to us. I think with the way the questions were going, we might have accepted him…" Aiden admitted before biting his lip and rubbing his head with embarrassment. He felt he had been getting better in telling who had good character and who didn't, but he almost failed again!

"So if I hadn't interrupted, it would have been too late, don't you think? Maybe I didn't control myself as much as I should have, but isn't it better that you were aware of the situation? It's done with, and if you look on the bright side, you don't have to see his face every time you walk around the house." Evan muttered as he lay himself on the couch and rested the back of his head on the palms of his hands with his eyes closed, "And yeah, I chased the kid. He began running before I had the chance to tell him why I was going after him."

Jin frowned as he listened to Evan and Aiden, and soon enough, he found himself wondering the same thing Evan was. Perhaps he was right in interrupting like that… Would he have done the same thing? Not with as much temper perhaps, and he definitely wouldn't be spouting the curse words that left his mouth, but maybe he would have accused him like he did. Evan was just trying to do the right thing, even if it was for the wrong reason. He couldn't have yelled at him just because he made him run after Damien, right? He was worried for Damien… maybe just a little? At the thought, his eyes raised to catch a glimpse of Damien getting himself some more water out of the fridge, gulping it down… getting more water, gulping it down… At this rate, the kid was going to drown himself from water intake!

Aiden tapped his fingers on his knees nervously as he felt the seriousness of the conversation to be a bit more than he'd like. To rid himself of this situation, he stood and made a beeline for the kitchen to speak with his new guest, like Jin had specifically said not to. He needed space? No, he needed comfort. He was good at that! Casually he pulled himself up into a sitting position on the island and began speaking to Damien cheerfully, "Damien? I'm Aiden Valentine; I'm the one who's renting the house out. He said you're an international right? Where are you from?" he asked curiously.

Damien jumped a little when a voice erupted from behind him, and he turned only to find the one person he had yet to have contact with sitting on the kitchen island. Wasn't that for food? His eyes stared up at Aiden nervously, but he eased up a little as he continued on with the conversation. He seemed to be really friendly… He finished his gulp of water after that thought and he carefully wiped his mouth to make sure no water lingered on his lips, "Uh... England." he replied simply, still in awe at the fact that Aiden was sitting on the island talking to him in a very friendly manner.

"England? That's amazing! I've always wanted to visit there, but then again, who doesn't? I've heard great things about Europe. I personally have lived here in Berea all my life. It's not all that interesting compared to somewhere like England, but it's home. You come to appreciate the little things here." Aiden assured him with a smile, "Oh, by the way I'm a freshman here at the college. I'm eighteen years old, and I really enjoy video games. And also cooking and shopping too! I guess I'm a little weird that way, but I find a lot of things interesting. How about you?"

"Me? Well, I'm… seventeen. I like science I guess; I've never played video games before." Damien replied as he was slowly easing into the conversation. Even a small smile could be seen grown at the edge of his lips. Listening to Aiden speak about things he liked and where he was from did make him feel a little homesick, but it was a relief after all that had happened at the same time. "This creature on your cup... what is it?" he asked as he showed the cup to him. He actually found the Pikachu to be quite adorable in and of itself, and he was more than curious to learn about it! Not that he... was that into adorable things.

Aiden's mouth dropped when Damien claimed no knowledge in video games, and he stared in disbelief at the poor, deprived seventeen-year-old in front of him, "What?! You've never- No way!" he exclaimed as he tried to grasp how he must feel with that emptiness inside of him where no video games flourished. "You're telling me that you have never, ever in your life played on a game system?" he asked again for confirmation to which he received a shy smile and a nod. "Wow… WOW…" he shook his head as if to show his amazement even further. Then his attention was turned back to the cup he held and the image he referred to and couldn't help but laugh a little, "That creature? That, my friend, is Pikachu. He's a Pokémon in… well, Pokémon. It's a video game that you're definitely going to have to experience among many others." He grinned at the thought of revealing all of the video game glories he had to offer and nodded to himself. This was a good thing. "So what's your major anyways? You said you like science, so is that what you're looking into?"

This question received a large nod and an excited smile to go with it, "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure of what I will do with it after college, but I believe science is what I'm most interested in. And you? Are you someone who works really well with technology?" he asked curiously, considering the fact that he liked video games so much.

"Ahahaha… Actually… I don't know how to work with anything more than my computer, television, and phone. I don't know how to fix any of it either. I'm a theater major! I really enjoy acting and being on stage." Aiden replied with a grin. This guy was great! He thought he was a technology nerd? Pfffft! He couldn't help but laugh, "By any chance, are you someone who stays up late, or do you go to bed relatively early?" he asked. Aiden was giving him an interview, and thankfully, Damien didn't seem to be catching onto that just yet!

"Uh… I'm not really sure. I've stayed up late reading before, but it's not frequent." Damien replied uncertainly. He didn't go to parties, he didn't hang out with friends, and he didn't do anything teenagers typically do, so he hadn't been exposed enough to really find out what kind of person he was when away from home. Usually there was nothing better to do than to sleep.

"I see… Then do you get along with others very well?" Aiden received a shrug on that comment. "Do you… like animals?" Again he received a shrug. "Oh! Do you like Evan?" A pause… and then another shrug, slower than the others. "Hmm… me too." he nodded in agreement.

"Aiden." Evan's voice spoke up from the breakfast counter as he sat beside Jin and gave a small, unenthusiastic wave accompanied by a sarcastic smile. Both of them had been listening into the conversation soon after it had begun because they were amazed by the fact Aiden was interviewing… and interviewing Damien of all people. Aiden was asking good questions (until the last), and Damien was replying! Being roommates, they had to listen to the interview. Jin made Evan get up to do so.

Damien's eyes averted towards the two at the counter, and he nervously looked up to Aiden, who seemed to have dug his own hole by the comment he made. Why were they sitting there anyways? He thought they were in the living room! How did he not notice?

Aiden scrunched his eyes closed at the sound of Evan's voice, and he slowly turned around on the island to face him, give him a wide grin and a nervous wave in return, "Say, I didn't know you guys were there! I was just, you know… talking to Damien. I think he's okay to stay. What do you guys think?" he asked to sort of take the spotlight off himself.

Jin smirked slightly at Evan and Aiden's interaction and held in a laugh as he raised his hand to his mouth to cover it. The fact that he was through interviewing with Damien was all good, but he did have one more question, "Damien, what's something we should know about you?" he asked sincerely, though a grin left its trace on his face.

HE was questioning him now? He didn't know him that well! Suddenly this was really nerve wracking! "Um…" what should he say? What was something people should always know about you? Or what did he like about himself that he wanted others to know too? He couldn't think of anything now that he was put on the spot! "Uh… If I may ask… what's yours?"

Jin was surprised to have the question turned towards him instead, and he himself wasn't even sure he knew the answer. What could he tell them? Ah! That's it! With that grin still on his face, he allowed the answer to come out of his mouth as a slight shade of red came to his cheeks, "I am really, really, really into Mario. The others helped me carry in boxes from my car to move in, and two of them were Mario merchandise. If he gets to be the one to teach you about Pokémon, I'm going to teach you about Mario." he said as he pointed to himself and laughed.

Evan turned his head to look at Jin and raised both of his brows with interest and complete judgement. TWO of those boxes? He was serious? No wonder he didn't let them open them earlier! He better be as good at playing Mario as he was in collecting it. He needed a challenge.

Aiden laughed at Jin's confession and slapped his knee a few times to show his approval. He didn't know he was such a nerd! "Okay, okay, me next! So, something that you should know about me… Ah. Ah, I got it. I um... I really, REALLY love to cook." he said with a nod to himself and a cross of his arms. Jin and Evan nodded at him to go on with the remark because they knew there had to be more to it. "But I absolutely cannot cook. My mom tried my cooking once. She said never again… There was another time I tried to cook again to prove her wrong. I told her, just you see…" he paused once more, "The fire alarm went off, and she hid the cooking ware from me after that," he said as he pressed his lips together into something that was sort of a smile but also one that said 'yeah, my bad'...

Jin slowly reached over and grabbed hold of a spoon that was sitting out on the counter and held it tightly in his hands as he closed his eyes as if to pray and protect the utensil, "Please… do not touch this kitchen…" This kitchen was far too wonderful for someone to mess it up… it was a miracle nothing had happened yet!  
"You… are a Godsend. Don't leave." Evan remarked to Jin who responded with a nod as he continued his prayer or whatever it was he was doing.

Damien bit his lip as a grin spread across his lips, his stomach practically begging him to let out a laugh. Perhaps this wasn't so bad after all! A Mario lover and a terrible cook? What about Evan? All of them were now waiting for Evan's answer in fact.

Evan acknowledged their questioning looks and cleared his throat to ease the awkward tension he had given himself, "Well… I'm a rapper. And before you ask, Aiden, no I am not a candy wrapper." that remark itself was enough to make Aiden laugh. How did he know he was going to ask that?

"But, but wouldn't it be funny! Your last name is Sugar!" Aiden laughed as he took the moment in. Jin on the other hand seemed to be slightly impressed but not at all surprised by his confession. He sort of looked like the type… And now, it was Damien's turn…

Mario, bad cook, rapper… They were all so interesting; how was he supposed to compete with that! "I uh… I have an identical twin brother." he said finally. He knew it wasn't as interesting as everything else they had to say, but to him it was very important. His twin was his other half, and he wasn't with him anymore when he always was. This was his first time separated from his brother, and that said a lot. He took a big chance coming to America, so maybe this could show he wasn't as much a coward as they may think at this moment.

"Wow… so cool." Aiden remarked with interest, thinking how awesome it must be to have another self. You could do a lot of things with a twin! However, Jin and Evan didn't have much of a chance to respond because immediately after Aiden's comment, the doorbell chimed, which signaled it was time for the next interview.

Aiden quickly jumped from the island and patted Damien's shoulder with a grin, "Welcome aboard!" he cheered before hurrying to the door to answer with Jin and Evan following after. Once he pulled open the door, though, he was greeted with an unexpected surprise. There he stood with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a Canadian face... It was none other than Rhodon Hope! Aiden beamed at the sight of his acquaintance, but he was a little confused... did he forget something here? "Hey, Rhodon! Did you forget something while you were here?"

Rhodon seemed to be a little embarrassed about something as he rubbed the back of his neck with a smile, obviously happy to see him as well, "Actually... I was wondering if your offer still stands. It turns out, my interview was with you." he admitted sheepishly.


	3. Chapter 3 Pt 1: Unexpected

**Chapter 3 Part 1: Unexpected**

Aiden tilted his head, letting the words filter through his processing. Rhodon's interview was… with him? _Had I really been that oblivious?_ He focused in on Rhodon's reactions to it and noticed that he looked almost apologetic. It seemed that neither of them had any idea that they would be interviewing with each other of all people. As excited as Aiden was to have Rhodon joining them, he forced himself to be professional, like any interviewer should be! "Come on in," Aiden said with a smile to give him a bit of assurance. He figured that was what he needed at the moment. He stepped to the side to allow Rhodon to enter the home. "Take a seat on the couch, if you'd like. In the fashion of fairness, I think we should still conduct an interview."

Rhodon walked over to the couch and gave a slight wave to the others as he passed through the door. "That sounds fine," he replied as he sat down. "Only to be fair." His eyes ventured to the kitchen when he had seen movement in the corner of his eyes, and he was surprised to see a face that hadn't been there previously. _Did they already choose another roommate? Is there still a spot left for me? I hope so…_

Aiden looked to Evan and Jin as he himself turned and headed to the living room. "Come on over and get comfortable so we can get this started!" He flopped onto his seat and faced Rhodon with a big smile. With the events that had transpired before Rhodon arrived, it was nice to see a friendly face, and someone he knew he could accurately judge the character of. If there were any inconsistencies, he knew that Jin and Evan would pull them into light.

Jin was the first to move from their spot by the front door to make his way to the living room. Rhodon being there came as a bit of a relief to him. They wouldn't have to deal with interviewing another complete stranger they knew nothing about. The fact that he was already acquainted with Rhodon made it much less stressful. As he took a seat beside Aiden, he couldn't help but notice that just as he and Evan were thinking earlier, it was more than a mere coincidence that the two had met earlier in the day. "It is nice to see you back, Rhodon… Though, a bit of a surprise?" Jin wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say, but he backed it up with a smile.

Rhodon nodded in response and watched as Evan walked over and took a seat on the floor in front of the table, also across from him. _He looks… Exhausted?_ He wasn't positive, but the way he sat slouched over with his arms rested on the table and his head upon them indicated to Rhodon he was at least a bit tired. From what, he didn't know. "I couldn't really remember who I had been talking to during the email process… I put the address into my phone only to find out I had been here before… and only a few hours ago." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Aiden laughed, trying to keep the atmosphere light. He said they would conduct an interview, but he wasn't even sure what to ask! He had already decided that Rhodon was a perfect fit. He looked over to Jin and then down to Evan. "Do you guys have any interview questions? I already know everything I want to know."

As Jin and Evan thought over what they could ask, Damien moved to take a seat at the breakfast bar. He looked over the stranger, whom Aiden had called Rhodon, as he recalled. They were being extremely casual with each other, which indicated to him that they may already know each other somewhat. He didn't know if he was meant to participate or not, and quite frankly, he knew he wouldn't have any clue what to ask anyway. He was fine with sitting it out.

Finally, Jin came to the conclusion that he really had no questions to ask Rhodon. He already knew him well enough to know the answers. "I have no questions of my own... Rhodon is my friend, and so I know what I should about him." He smiled, showing his confidence in his friend. He looked down at Evan on the floor. "Do you have any questions in mind, Evan?"

Evan lifted his head from his arms, looking Rhodon over seriously. "Just one... Are you as hyper as Aiden all the time?" His eyes narrowed slightly as he waited for his answer. He watched Rhodon's expression turn into a look of confusion.

"Hyper..?" Rhodon asked, gazing into Evan's serious eyes. He couldn't help but think Evan was like the guard dog of the house. "No, no. I will admit, I can be a bit excitable, but not nearly that often." Rhodon hoped his answer was acceptable. He withheld a sigh of relief when Evan backed down, placing his head back down on his arms and closing his eyes.

"That's all I wanted to know," Evan announced, no longer interested in glaring at Rhodon. He knew what would come next. _At least_ , he thought, _these interviews are over._ Rhodon was to be the last one they admitted into the house as a roommate.

Aiden grinned widely. "Then it's decided! You get to be our final roommate!" He gave Rhodon a thumbs up. "Did you bring your things with you? We can help you unload it!" He hopped to his feet, ready to give his help as needed.

"Actually, no..." Rhodon said sheepishly. "I didn't know what to expect out of the interviews so I didn't really plan ahead... But would it be okay if I came back later with my things?" He smiled at Aiden, hoping that it would make up for the fact that he had been so excited to start helping him move and wasn't able to do so.

Aiden didn't skip a beat. "That's okay...how about we help you get your things from your place? We need to go shopping for food, anyway, so why not get two things done at one time?" His excited smile was genuine, as it always was. "I have a car of my own, so we can split into cars if we want to."

"All of us?" Evan asked as he looked up at him. He wasn't very happy about the idea of having to go out _again_. He was already exhausted and pretty tired of being around people, and more specifically strangers. The thought of having to put more physical and social effort into his day was draining him more than anything.

"Of course all of us!" Aiden nudged Evan with his foot. "We couldn't go shopping without everyone to be there to input in what we get. And it would be nice to help Rhodon out." He stepped back, a little frightened by the glare that Evan was giving him. "It'll be fun!" He squeaked, unable to hide some of the fear he was feeling.

"I have to agree with Aiden. It would be to all of our benefit to go shopping together so that food is picked to everyone's liking," Jin agreed thoughtfully. Poor Aiden was being given that scary look of Evan's; he had to help him out somehow! "If we're splitting cars, I'll go with you, Aiden. It should prove interesting." He joked some as he made his way to the door to slip his shoes on. The others followed suit, but they were also considering who else would go in which car…

"You're sure this is okay? I can probably just do two trips by myself if you want to just go shopping while I'm gone." Rhodon suggested uncertainly. The last thing he wanted to be was a burden, but he was entirely grateful for Aiden's suggestion. A car ride alone was always so boring; a little company would be absolutely fantastic!

"We're coming with you; don't worry about it… All right so Jin is coming with me; anyone else? If not, we're going to have a fun ride without you~." Aiden teased the others as he pulled out his keys from his pocket and jingled them in his hand with a grin. He was all about enjoying car rides!

Damien was quick to stand from his seat at the kitchen once he realized he should be joining the others, and he immediately stood beside Aiden as if he was being separated into a team with his backpack straps still clenched tightly in his hands. He didn't know Rhodon at all, so naturally he felt the need to ride with the individuals that he at least shared a bit of conversation with earlier. He wasn't ready to speak with another complete stranger! Even a simple acquaintance was better!

 _Are we really splitting into teams for this?_ When he realized that everyone else had already chosen their car, he had to make a move in order to not be left behind with Aiden. "Alright, it's decided. Let's go Rhodon." Evan spoke up as he gestured for the door and walked out, not even waiting for his driver to head out first. He was ready to just sit in the car and maybe even taken a nap while he was in there! _Doubtful...The whole reason for this is to give him company..._ Too bad for him; Evan defined himself as the worst company he could ask for. At least his presence was something!

Aiden watched as Evan left their company and allowed Rhodon to follow after him before he and the others exited the home as well. A grin found its way to his lips after the groups were decided because he was extremely excited for this car ride with his new roommates. This was a golden opportunity! "So where exactly is your house, Rhodon? It's not here in Berea is it?"

"No, it's in Richmond actually. I lived in the same neighborhood as Jin did over the summer." He replied as he opened his car door to his silver Honda Accord and pressed the unlock button to allow Evan to enter as well. "Just follow me; if you get lost, I'm sure Jin can get you there," he assured him with a smile and a thumbs up before he sat himself down in the driver's seat and closed the door to prepare for departure.

"Okay," Aiden responded simply as he opened the garage door and proceeded into the car with Jin in the back seat and Damien in the side passenger seat. Jin had already decided on sitting behind the others so that he could promote Damien's social interaction as well as get a feel for the two and their personalities. "Do you guys have a music preference? If you don't mind, I'll just turn on the radio, and if you don't like the station you can change it," Aiden offered as he turned up the volume of his speakers, which gave rise to the voices of the radio hosts currently speaking. He watched in his rearview mirror as Rhodon pulled out of the driveway, and then he shifted his gear into reverse to follow suit. Once he shifted into drive, he followed behind Rhodon with less than a comfortable enough distance, at least in Damien's opinion.

Damien had never driven before, but he knew quite a bit about the rules of driving. He also was very aware of his own feelings towards certain things, especially tailgating. He was always very uncomfortable being a passenger of someone whose driving didn't adhere to his standards. His whole body tensed with every stop because he felt Aiden would get far too close to Rhodon's bumper; _there was a high possibility of him crashing, right?!_ Damien kept a wary eye out for anything that might cause some sort of problem during the drive, and it was evident that he was concentrating entirely on the car ahead and their surroundings.

"Aiden, would you mind putting a little space between us and Rhodon's car? I know you don't want to lose him, but even if you do, I can get you to his place. I think Damien might be a little uncomfortable with how close you are," Jin pointed out with a small laugh before nudging Damien's shoulder with his hand, "If something is bothering you, speak up. No one will know unless you say something," he suggested with a reassuring smile and a nod towards Aiden.

"Oh, my bad. Sorry. Somehow I already forgot that you knew the way." Aiden laughed as he began breaking a little early at a stop light to leave more space between the cars, "I agree with what he said though. I want to know if you are unhappy or uncomfortable with something so that I can adjust accordingly. Though, I can't say I'll remember to stay this far from a car all the time," he remarked as he rubbed the back of his head with one hand and kept the other on the steering wheel. Once the light turned green again, he waited just a second or so before releasing the brake and pressing on the gas to continue their drive into a turn that led straight onto the interstate I-75 North.

Damien allowed his body to relax a little when Aiden's driving became safer (if only a little), and he was able to take his eyes off the road to offer up a timid, apologetic smile to Jin and Aiden both with a nod of understanding, "I'm sorry; I will speak up next time perhaps. I just get nervous when I'm not used to a certain way of driving, honestly," he replied in hopes that they too would understand his reasoning behind this.

"Really? I don't blame you, but I think I myself have become use to American drivers. They are very reckless, except for a rare few. Rhodon is actually a very safe driver. Perhaps it's the Canadian side of him…" Jin laughed as he offered up his opinion on the matter in a joking way. It was absolutely true! A few of his friends had explained to him what their driver's test was like, and all of them shared very similar stories. The written test was no longer than fifty questions, and the driving test was far too short to have meaning! It's no wonder some of these people didn't seem qualified to drive! In his country, it was much more difficult…

"Hey, I'm not a bad driver; let's not throw me into the stereotype. I can be careful." Aiden grinned in response to Jin's remark, even though he himself agreed. There were so many drivers that shared the road, or hogged the road in some cases, that didn't even pay attention to what they were doing! Some would be on their cell phones, some completely ignored the fact that blinkers exist, and others may even be drunk or something! Of course, these things didn't all only happen in America, but it seemed to be prevalent here. "Ooh wait! Not to stop the conversation, but I love this song!" he exclaimed all of a sudden when he realized that he had already missed the first verse of "Bang Bang" by Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj and Jessie J. "Bang Bang, into the room~! Bang bang, all over you~! Wait a minute, let me take you there! Wait a-!" his singing stopped when his song all of a sudden came to a halt thanks to Jin's push of a button. Poor Aiden was astonished that he would do such a thing! He was getting so into it, too! "What'd you do that for? I like that song..." he pouted as he met with Jin's eyes in the rearview mirror.

Jin cleared his throat a little and raised his eyebrows as he gestured towards Damien with his head. _Does he even realize how sheltered this kid is? He didn't need to be listening to music like that!_ "Sorry, Aiden, but I think a different song would be more suitable. You did say that we could change the radio," he reminded him as he waited to hear what song would be next. Oh, the lovely commercial breaks… He didn't always mind them, but the longer he stayed in America, the more he came to understand why locals didn't like them either. In his first year or so, he used the commercials as practice for English listening skills! That wasn't as necessary for him now… He perked up when he heard the radio station announce itself, signaling that it was time for another song to begin, and he hoped that this one wouldn't be as bad as the last. He knew Aiden wasn't as innocent as he acted! Jin didn't recognize the intro of the song, but it was obvious that Aiden did… even though the words were being sung almost immediately.

"Wake up in the mornin' feelin' like P-Diddy. Grab my glasses, I'm out the door, I'm gonna hit the city. Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack. 'Cause when I leave for the night, I ain't comin' back…" Aiden continued to sing as he even gestured to certain words of the song. He was totally rocking those invisible sunglasses! He even sang a little towards his passengers, and they didn't seem to mind at all! _Yeah… I wish._ Jin didn't seem to be approving- his face said it all.

Damien was grinning with a hint of uncertainty in his expression. He really had no clue what to think about Aiden, and this car ride was definitely starting to prove that the owner of the house he would be staying in was a little on the crazy side. He was fun though! He had never heard this kind of music before, and the fact that Aiden was dancing to it and acting it out was actually thoroughly entertaining in an odd way.

"Aiden. Change it. We just had this discussion about the _last_ song." Jin remarked just to confirm what Aiden had been thinking his expression was telling him. He didn't know what the heck "P-Diddy" was, but he knew she was talking about brushing her teeth with alcohol, though he didn't know why. _That sounds absolutely terrible…_ While he knew he was being a little strict with Aiden considering he had only begun residing in his house today, he had become comfortable enough to express what was important.

"It's okay, I don't mind. He likes the music, and I've never heard it before. I'm open to new things. Well… mostly." Damien laughed a little, knowing very well that so far his attempt at new experiences was far from being enjoyable. But this was music they were talking about, so it wasn't at all similar to the past few hours.

"I think it's great for you to try new things, Damien, but… maybe not Aiden's music." Jin replied as nicely as he could put it. Damien's lack of exposure to this kind of music was not a bad thing, but it did make him more innocent than anyone he had ever met and that innocence needed to be protected!

"I don't think that's fair…" Aiden muttered under his breath as he reluctantly changed the channel again. He was absolutely certain that Jin would disapprove of quite a few songs, and he was beginning to wonder if he even knew what good music sounded like. _So far, it seems doubtful…_

Meanwhile in Rhodon's car, the silence was almost deafening. Rhodon could understand with the rambunctious nature of Aiden why Evan would have chosen to go in a car that would possibly be the tamer of the two, but complete silence was also wishful thinking. He just wasn't sure how to break the silence between them. "So...Evan?"

Evan looked over and repressed the urge to ask why Rhodon was calling his name. He could tell by the look on his face that the silence was getting to him. He couldn't blame him. If he was vocal enough, he could have warned him that he wasn't very good company, but he had been finding that his words were falling on deaf ears. It would have made no difference. "Yeah?"

"Do you mind if I turn on the radio?" Rhodon asked. He wouldn't say that the silence was haunting him. He didn't want to make Evan think that his company wasn't enough. He didn't seem like he wanted to talk, and it made sense. They had just met over lunch, and he had become his roommate not long after. There would have to be time to adjust to the situation…Even though the silence was surely killing him.

Evan nodded in response, looking at the car's console to find the knob for the radio. "I can do it…" He wouldn't make him look away from the road. He was pleased to find that Rhodon's car was much like the one he had driven at home, with a dark grey interior and simplistic dashboard design, so he didn't find it hard at all to navigate his hand to the radio dial and crank it up enough for the sound to come over the speakers.

"Thanks," Rhodon said, keeping his eyes on the road. He appreciated the sudden break in silence as the music invaded the space of the car. It's not that he couldn't just appreciate the company he had, but he was slightly nervous being in the presence of someone who was merely an acquaintance that didn't care much for social interaction. He himself loved speaking with people, so the awkwardness was more of Rhodon trying to hold himself back from talking for Evan's sake. At least music was a common ground! _…If he likes similar music._ "Not Afraid", sung by Eminem, rose into the speakers as the volume knob was turned farther to the right.

The beat heavy rap music invaded the sound space of the car, and surprised Evan completely. He should have known not to judge someone so quickly. It was the last thing he had expected to hear from the speakers of Rhodon's car, and thankfully, it was music he listened to frequently. He was familiar with the song, knew the lyrics by heart, but anxiety was gripping at his tongue, keeping it from moving. Even with Rhodon passionately spitting out the words beside him, he kept his mouth shut. He envied Rhodon's open nature in that moment. He had the slight hope that living with outgoing people would help him break out of the hard shell he was being held captive in. Was it possible? The longer he listened to the flow of the song and the sound of the lyrics that slipped so easily out of Rhodon's mouth, he was beginning to believe there was a chance for him to break out of the cage of anxiety and join in. If he and Rhodon could share something as simple as rap together in their sea of similarities and differences, there was a chance there was more that they shared. Rapping took practice, after all. _So does this mean Rhodon has a passion for it? Or does he just like this song in particular?_ He was far more curious about his fellow roommate now, and the longer he questioned all of this in his head, the more he sat himself up in his seat and leaned against the back, staring at the road ahead as he just listened.

The urge to sing along with the song was growing with every line he heard, but Evan still couldn't allow the words to fly out just yet. He was content with feeling the song, taking it in, and listening to Rhodon's vocal style as he rapped right along, never missing a word. Towards the end of the last verse of the song, however, it seemed that Evan's thoughts somehow messed with Rhodon because all too soon he forgot a word and then laughed at himself, allowing the song to carry on without him.

"Ah, man, I came so close too!" Rhodon exclaimed as he gave just a small tap to the steering wheel with the palm of his right hand. A grin still remained on his face even while he was criticizing himself for the mistake he had made. He knew the lyrics, but he had gotten tongue-tied from all of the rapping! It didn't help that most of his attention had to be on the road as well…

Evan raised an eyebrow at Rhodon as he slightly judged his reaction- not in a bad way, though. It was good that he was a little upset by his mistake. It's not like he was overly hard on himself, either. "I think if you weren't driving you probably would have hit every word. That wasn't bad," he commented as a small smile crept onto his lips. Rhodon was suddenly somewhat relatable, and Evan felt significantly more open to the car's environment now that the song had ended and mistakes were made. Rhodon wasn't afraid to show what he was capable of nor that he was far from perfect. And as the next song drifted to their ears, he was ready. If Rhodon could share his rapping language, so could he. Maybe he wouldn't be so good at first. Maybe he would mess up because of how nervous he was. However, if Rhodon could risk it, so could he, even if he was the less social of the two.

The beginning of the song began with a steady beat of drums and then a piano layered on top soon after. And then all of a sudden, the two of them broke out into rap like no other's business, matching each word and syllable with as much passion as a professional playing on his or her instrument. Completely in sync, yet differing in styles, their voices filled the car and slowly dissolved the anxious atmosphere that once engulfed them. "Return of the Mack's, get 'em what it is what it does what it is what it isn't _lookin'-for-a-better-way-to-get-up-out-of-bed-instead-of-getting-on- the-internet-and-checking-a-new-hit_ _,_ get up! …" The rap continued on as they matched the song.

Surprisingly, instead of Evan messing up, Rhodon was the one who faltered after the first few words because he was caught off-guard by his unexpected rap partner. _He's singing! Well- rapping!_ That made it even more impressive! Evan was joining him in RAPPING. _This… This is exhilarating! Exciting! How could I mess up so easily when something so awesome is happening?! Jump back in, Rhodon_!

The two of them continued rapping for the entire length of the song, and once it finished, Rhodon took a moment to catch his breath and then laughed once he was able to process all that had just happened. He was so excited! "Wow... You can rap? That's amazing! Why didn't you say anything before?!"

"You rapped, too, you know." Evan pointed out with a questioning grin upon his face. He felt great after their little rapping session, and he no longer felt as shy as he had at first. The fact that Rhodon was so enthusiastic didn't even bother him as much as it would otherwise when he wasn't being social. This was definitely a new experience for him! "I didn't exactly think you were into this kind of music," he remarked as he looked out the window of the car just to check his surroundings. He spotted several cars on the interstate, and watched as a semi passed by their car on his right. This sight made him feel unsettled, and he was grateful that Rhodon seemed to be taking the necessary precautions in drifting towards the left side of his lane to give the truck more space between them. He hated being directly next to those trucks.

"I'm not surprised you didn't think I was into this stuff. I listen to just about everything, though. Rap is just something I really enjoy doing, so I tend to listen to that more than other genres," Rhodon replied happily, all too thrilled to be discussing this topic in particular. He was really beginning to like Evan now that he was actually able to hold a conversation with him. Earlier he was just completely distant, so he didn't know what to think of him then.

Evan couldn't help but to hide a smile in response to Rhodon's comment. _He enjoyed it?_ Well, at least he knew he had one thing in common with him…"Same, actually…" he said with a laugh. "I kind of grew up with rap culture, so that's what I've mostly stuck to." It felt so much easier to speak his mind, and he was thankful for it.

"Really? See, I came from New York, and I got involved with a lot of the music that I've heard on the streets. Rap is really common, and it was easy for me to pick up as well." Rhodon replied as he allowed the truck to pass by him so that he wouldn't have to feel so nervous about it anymore. If he didn't feel so embarrassed to mention the street dance he also happened to learn during his time in New York, he most certainly would have added that in as well. _It's just…I'm not sure if dancing is even seen as a cool thing. Probably not…_ "Where are you from?"

"California." Evan replied, knowing very well that that would be a good enough explanation. The fact that both of them had been exposed to very similar environments was surprising to him, but it made sense. _This isn't going to be a bad living situation after all!_ Well… at least with Rhodon. He still was unsure about all of the others. After all, he would be living under the same roof as a hyperactive freshman, an eating machine, and a nervous kid. Another rapper was definitely what he needed.

The commercials on the radio came to an end soon enough, and immediately percussion entered in unison with a woman's voice, introducing Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl". Rhodon raised his index finger to signal to Evan that he was halting the conversation for a while, just as long as this song was going at least. He reached over and, without removing his eyes from the road ahead, he turned the volume up by twisting the knob farther right. And as though the loudness of the speakers was also his internal volume, his voice rose to an equal playing field with the singer that burst from the speakers. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he sang along in an enthusiastic way to the 2005 hit.

As the song continued on, Rhodon realized that Evan wasn't singing along, and now that he knew he had it in him, he wasn't just going to let that slide, "Come on, I know you know this song!" he urged him, gesturing for him to join in. _This may not exactly be rap, but it was still fun to sing to!_

Evan shook his head slightly as he watched the driver go crazy with this older song, but he was grinning nonetheless. He couldn't believe that he was actually considering joining in. The song was old-school, and it also required a bit of security on his part to be able to sing it as freely as Rhodon did. When Rhodon urged for him to sing along, a sigh escaped his lips as he gave in to his request without much of a fight. It may not be the manliest song, but it could prove to be fun somehow.

So together, the two of them sang and even acted out a bit of the music- Rhodon giving sassy gestures and Evan making faces. The atmosphere was the complete opposite of what it had been when they first entered the car! But, they weren't the only ones jamming along. Aiden's car was on the move, coming up on Rhodon's right, and Aiden was absolutely carried away by the music. However, he did keep some concentration on the road for Damien's sake.

Damien laughed as he watched Aiden's sassy, theatrical sort of dancing. But he was soon distracted as he came upon an interesting sight… As they were passing Rhodon, he spotted both he AND Evan singing along, similar to Aiden (though Aiden's was still a little crazier). What was surprising was the fact they seemed to be in sync with the music he was currently being exposed to in this car! _Are they listening to the same tune?_ He watched Rhodon and Evan for a few more moments, but he didn't look away in time to avoid the eye contact he suddenly received from Evan. He was spotted watching them! Nervously, he averted his eyes away and repositioned himself in his seat in such a way that he couldn't see Evan. _That meant he couldn't be seen by him either, right?_

Evan had been having a surprisingly good time with his and Rhodon's jam session, but when he caught Damien staring at him from the car beside them, that was the point when he decided he wouldn't continue with the song. His eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the spot where Damien had just been, but after the kid's little maneuver, he couldn't really see him. Plus, he found himself watching Aiden's ridiculous movements for just a few seconds before he looked away, hoping they would speed up so that he didn't have to feel the eyes of the other car staring at him.

 _But seriously… did we look like Aiden when we were singing along, too?_

Meanwhile, Jin was sitting in the backseat of Aiden's car, having given up on requesting a song switch with every tune that just happened to play on the stations. "Hollaback Girl" wasn't as bad as the other ones, though, so he was dealing with it. _Honestly, it does have a catchy tune…_ Perhaps 'dealing with it' wasn't even the right phrase, because he was sort of getting into the beat. His eyes were trained on either Damien or whatever was outside his window when he peered out. He didn't know why, but he felt as though he had to make sure Damien was at least somewhat enjoying himself. Maybe it was just his own background that gave him reason as to why he felt the need to look after him, or maybe it was just because he understood what it was like to be in a country he's never been in and have no one familiar at his side. His eyebrows knit together when he noticed Damien's demeanor had completely changed as he slouched in his seat and nervously looked out the passenger side window. This change of behavior made him curious, and out of pure deduction of all that Damien had been doing in the past few moments, he was already aware that whatever caused him to shrink into his seat was coming from the left of their car. And sure enough… there was Evan staring right over at what he assumed to be Damien's direction. He wasn't positive that he was looking at Damien, but evidence suggested it more than not.

Aiden was quite absorbed in the music, but that didn't keep him from noticing that his side passenger didn't seem to be enjoying himself as much as he had begun to in the start of the song. _Is he bored with it? Does he not like it?_ He reached over and turned the volume knob to the left to decrease the sound that permeated from the speakers. "Damien. Do you have a music player or something with your own music?" he asked him just to be considerate. He wanted to make sure that Damien was comfortable, at least now that he had just a little bit of exposure to music he didn't seem to know. He felt as though it was his duty to introduce him into the world he had somehow failed to know.

Damien snapped out of his thoughts and glanced over at Aiden when he grabbed his attention, and he nodded in response, "Yeah, why?" he asked as he carefully took out his iPod Shuffle to reveal it to Aiden. He just hoped Aiden kept his eyes on the road… _Why was he distracting him, anyway?_

"Do you want to plug it in?" Aiden offered once he spotted the object in his hand and then returned his eyes to the road. He was definitely surprised to see such an outdated device in his hand, but at the same time, it was surprising enough that he had the device to begin with! _He actually knew some kind of music!_ He was practically itching to know what this sheltered roommate of his chose to listen to! "Here, plug this in." he said as he pulled the cord out of the glove box and showed it to them.

"...What is it?" Damien asked, completely perplexed, "You can play your music into the car's speakers instead of through headphones?" he questioned him, just in case he wasn't understanding him correctly.

"Uh… yeah. That's right." Aiden said with a confused grin. He should just stop being surprised after all he had seen up 'til now. "Go on, try it." he prodded him with a big smile now. He was actually just excited to see what his reaction would be because this was a huge moment in his life!

Damien looked to Aiden once more, feeling a little uncertain for some reason. When he urged for him to do so again, though, he nodded and plugged the cord into the headphone jack. Damien pressed play on his iPod and instantly the sound of music came over the speakers of the car, surprising him. It had worked! There was childish delight in his smile as he heard Owl City playing louder than he could get even his headphones to go. "That's...Amazing," he said, the wonder in his voice. He couldn't believe there was something so wonderful in the world.

What surprised Jin the most was not that Owl City was being played from Damien's iPod (from what he could deduct from Damien's soft spoken and very timid attitude, it made quite a bit of sense that he would be into such music), it was that Aiden started to sing along with the song that was playing. It didn't strike Jin as something Aiden would be into, especially after the many songs he's sung to, but then again, who was he to judge so quickly? Maybe beyond the hyper exterior, there was still a bit of innocence in the boy _...Maybe_. His initial impression of Aiden was that he was naive, in a way, but not quite innocent, in the purest sense. Despite that, it made him smile to hear both of the boys in the car sing along this time. To… rather good music. He had heard Owl City now and then thanks to the friends he had made here at the college, but he was only introduced to it. He didn't take the time to search the artist's music.

Jin was soon pulled away from his thoughts when he noticed both of them were not just singing with each other anymore… They were completely having a blast! _What even is this song? Something about dentists?_ He watched as Aiden and Damien sang and made gestures that were practically identical to each other's while he sat in the back trying not to laugh. This was only the first day, and it was already turning out to be a rather interesting choice he had made in his roommates.

"I brush my teeth, and look in the mirror~. And laugh out loud, as I'm beaming from ear to ear~." The two sang, gestured, and laughed together as they continued singing along to the song. Aiden didn't even sound like he was trying to sing well, though. He was just singing obnoxiously for the fun of it while Damien sang to himself and no one else. At least they were enjoying themselves though! Even as they were passing by Rhodon's car, Aiden finally noticed them and began to sing and gesture to his new roommates through the window, knowing fully well they couldn't hear him at all. He raised his left fist at Evan as if ready for a fight as he sung about _picking flowers instead of fights_ , and as he came upon the next verse, he bared his teeth in an absolutely massive grin, just to show _those clean, pearly whites_.

Evan had been discussing with Rhodon more about his experiences involving rap and where he came from, but his eyes were drawn to the sight of Aiden and Damien making some weird faces and gestures in the car beside him. _What the…? Why did they look like they were brushing their teeth? Who sings about such a thing anyways?_ His attention was grabbed even further by Aiden's eye contact, unfortunately… Evan almost regretted looking in his direction because that grin he flashed at him had to be the weirdest thing he had ever seen. And he'd seen a lot, being the oldest of five. In hopes that Aiden would stop his strange antics and continue driving normally, Evan slowly turned his eyes away and position himself so that the majority of his back faced the window. _Just when I thought Aiden couldn't get any stranger…_

Upon arrival at Rhodon's house, the two cars' inhabitants exited from their seats and all except Jin and Rhodon, and Evan immediately began to scope out their surroundings. Because Rhodon and Jin had been living either here or had visited, their lack of interest made sense. But what was Evan so occupied with that made him lack the curiosity to look around?

"Aiden, what were you even doing in the car? You are aware that you are the driver, aren't you?" Evan approached him immediately after exiting the car. He was curious yet absolutely baffled about what in the world he and Damien were doing in the car, though it was really just Aiden he had questioning for. "And what was _this_ supposed to be?" he asked as he imitated Aiden's face that he had made when singing to "Dental Care".

Aiden and Damien stared at Evan with perplexed expressions, but when Evan made the attempt at imitating the obnoxious driver, Aiden himself completely lost it! "You're smiling! Or… at least trying. Wow! Did I make you that happy?" he asked excitedly as he even gave a pat to Evan's shoulder to show how proud he was. _Man, just a day and a half, and he's already catching on…_ Magical things happen when people are no longer homeless. Well… he found out he wasn't homeless; he actually just needed friends. Or something like that.

Damien stood by a few feet away for safety's sake, clutching onto his backpack straps like usual, as he watched Evan practically scold Aiden for some reason. Though, when Evan made that weird face at them, he found himself holding in a laugh so that his scolding wouldn't be turned to him. _What really_ _ **was**_ _that face? Did Aiden do that while driving earlier?_ He didn't see it! He wanted to speak up and tell him what they were actually doing, but due to his past experience with Evan, he held his tongue and allowed whatever to happen. _Did Aiden really not notice that Evan is really just making fun of him?_ In his opinion, it was quite obvious! Surely, Aiden was just purposely driving Evan nuts!

Evan gave Aiden a disgusted look in response to his reaction, and he denied what was said only to continue to question him, "I was _not_ smiling," he assured him with a nod to himself, "I was asking you what sort of things you were gesturing at us through your window when you were supposed to be driving. And don't touch me… my shoulder's sensitive." he muttered as he turned away from him when he noticed Jin seemed to be giving them quite the impatient look. Or maybe it was just a death stare... All he knew was that he somehow felt compelled to drop the subject and follow Rhodon and Jin into the house to fetch the luggage they had come for.

Aiden gave some space between himself and Evan before turning to whisper in Damien's ear, "I think I'm growing on him, don't you?" he asked jokingly and laughed as he finally continued on up to the house with Damien shaking his head and laughing as well. Honestly, though, Aiden actually believed Evan when he said that his shoulder was sensitive…

Moving out of Rhodon's apartment proved rather easy thanks to the number of people that had come along. Rhodon had quite a few boxes to bring to his car and stacked many in his back seat along with his suitcase and backpack. He also had to place a few items in his trunk, which included his necessary textbooks for the semester. When it was confirmed that everything of his was packed in, the crew left for their next destination: Walmart.

The drive to supercenter was similar to the drive up to Rhodon's house, except Aiden's car was playing Owl City and the occasional classical piece the entire time. Aiden actually found a little humor in Damien's music choices, and he couldn't help but be entertained even by the classical music that he rarely, rarely listened to. Jin was beginning to learn quite a bit about his new roommates, and he had come to the absolute conclusion that there was no questioning the fact that Damien had some strict parents. There was just no way that Damien chose to listen to nothing but Owl City and classical music. He wondered how much this living situation was going to change him, in all honesty.

As for Rhodon and Evan, the two of them were definitely getting a bit of bonding into their relationship. Not deep bonding, mind you, but enough to allow both some comfort in each other's presence. Their conversations about rap turned into conversations about their pasts in school, and those conversations turned into topics of likes and dislikes somehow. When they got tired of talking, they appreciated the music instead.

Evan couldn't keep himself from wondering about how this whole friendship thing was actually going to turn out… They were only acquaintances now, but would they become friends? He didn't know whether or not the conversations they held together meant anything or if it was all just because Rhodon had no one else to speak with. _If it wasn't just us in the car… would Rhodon still care to have talked to me about all of this?_ He turned his attention to the scenery out the window as he tried to shake these thoughts from his mind, and the only comfort he could give himself was that only time would tell what would happen between him and the other roommates.

Rhodon's opinion of Evan had definitely escalated since he first met him this morning. Earlier he was just a quiet guy who seemed to have a grudge against everything and everyone. He didn't exactly judge him for that, but he couldn't bring himself to speak with him until the wall was broken down by none other than rap! Now, he was very optimistic about his relationship with Evan, and he was absolutely thrilled to be starting this new adventure with all of his roommates!

As both cars pulled into the crowded parking lot of Walmart, Rhodon led the way to a select few parking spaces that were lined up on the far-right side of the parking lot entrance and grabbed a spot halfway between the building and the lot entrance. Aiden drove into the space beside him and once the ignition was turned off, he and the others exited the car to join the other two and head towards the supermarket's entrance.

Jin was the first inside the store, and he was eager to grab a shopping cart for the groceries he would be buying. Now that he was here and the hour was reaching 5:30 p.m., he was absolutely starving and was on the lookout for the food he would be making once they got back to the house. Unfortunately for him though, the others seemed to have a different idea about what foods should be brought into the home. Jin had the idea of going to the middle of the store's grocery aisles to grab the non-refrigerated or frozen foods first, but it didn't seem as though Aiden had that idea at all. He knew what he wanted!

Aiden made a bee-line for the frozen section, dragging Damien along with him, and without any second thoughts, he grabbed 4 pizzas of different toppings and handed them to Damien and then carried a bag of chicken breasts and Neapolitan ice cream in his own hands. He was quick to return to their group that was somewhat patiently waiting for him at the end of the aisle. Jin watched with dismay as the items were placed into the cart, and Evan merely raised his eyebrows as he wondered if this roommate of his planned on cooking that chicken. After their discussion in the kitchen earlier, he wasn't ready for any related incidents to happen. Of course, the pizza required baking, too, but there was no way he could make the fire alarm go off because of pizza right? After all, the only thing required for baking pizza was a timer and the proper temperature! He probably shouldn't trust Aiden to do well with that either, though…

Reluctantly, Jin carried on with pushing the cart as he scanned the aisles for any groceries that stuck out in his mind. The second person to branch off from the group was Rhodon, who ventured down aisle 4. His interest in Asian foods was what enticed him to leave the shopping cart, but little did he know that Jin also had the need to walk down the same aisle. Rhodon pulled 3 Yakisoba ramen packages from the middle shelf of the Asian section and before he knew it, Evan was pulling the last 2 chocolate Pocky boxes off of the shelf to his right! "Uh… Evan? You wouldn't mind if I had one of those, would you?" he asked hopefully. He really liked Pocky! Then again… who didn't?

Evan looked up at Rhodon and then back to the Pocky for a moment only to look back at the shelf to check for more, "You don't like strawberry?" He wasn't too thrilled about the thought that he might have to give up his Pocky, and he absolutely hated the strawberry flavored. _That stuff is just nasty…_

Rhodon scratched the back of his head as he considered the question and eyed the strawberry Pocky that sat on the shelf with uncertainty, "I've actually never had it. I guess I could try it…" He replied as he hesitantly picked up a single box and turned it over to read the labels on the back.

Evan slowly turned his head in Rhodon's direction only to stare in disgust at the thought that his new acquaintance would be forced to try that distasteful, poor excuse of a treat because of him. He reached his hand out and grabbed the Pocky from Rhodon's hand to replace it with one of his chocolate boxes and put the strawberry one back on the shelf, for both of their sake. He wouldn't want _anyone_ to have the misfortune of eating those!

"What..? Wait, no, this is yours. It's okay, I don't mind-"

"Keep it." Evan insisted as he made a move to leave his side. However, he stopped in his tracks when Aiden gleefully made his appearance, grabbed 3 packs of the strawberry Pocky from the shelf and excitedly placed them in the cart. He was so happy about his Pocky collection that Evan couldn't help but comment to Rhodon in a whisper on the matter, "You know an item is bad when _he_ grabs for it. You're welcome." he remarked before tossing his Pocky in the cart and turning his attention to Jin.

Jin picked up 4 packages of rice and placed them in the cart and then grabbed 4 packages of noodles to place in the cart as well! He eyed the shelves up and down to make sure that he didn't need anything else and then paused in his search when he noticed Evan staring at him,"... Yes? Do you need something I can get for you?" he offered as he pointed to the top shelf and gave him a questioning and concerning glance with his eyebrows raised.

Evan appeared to be quite unamused by Jin's question. He was more annoyed by the question than anything, even though Jin was being completely sincere. They weren't close enough for him to be making short jokes; he was completely aware of that. Still… he couldn't help but narrow his eyes at this tall Korean and shoot daggers at him in his mind. With a deep sigh, he allowed his annoyance to subside and then pointed to the cart where Jin had just placed the items, "Is that enough rice and noodles for you?" he asked seriously. _Is he aware of his own appetite?_

"Oh, you want more?" Jin asked, absolutely pleased that one of them was actually eager to have _real_ food. _This is great news! There is hope after all!_ "How much more would you like?"

"No, no, no, no, I meant for _you_." Evan replied immediately as he nodded slowly to add to this confirmation. He didn't exactly want to say it straight out, but it appeared he had no choice. Besides, it's not like he was being rude or anything; he was only wanting to make sure there was enough for him and everyone else.

Jin was genuinely surprised by his comment, but by no means offended. He took a moment to process what he was asking, and when he came to the realization, he nodded to show his understanding, "I see… You are confused about my eating habits. I ate quite a bit at the restaurant, and you assume I eat the same amount at home. In actuality, I limit myself when I am eating among others in a home setting. College students unfortunately are not paid enough to eat their fill." he remarked as he began to push the cart down the aisle to continue shopping.  
Evan didn't even think that Jin was considering money in his shopping with as much food he was putting into the cart, but that did make sense. He obviously knew it to be true, considering his sophomore status. If only he didn't get paid a measly $5.05 an hour. #BEREA.

It was at this time that Jin paused in his tracks and looked around to count all of his roommates, having just noticed that he hadn't seen Damien since he brought the pizzas with Aiden. Sure enough, his count didn't add up to 4, and he was rather confused by this. _Wasn't he with Aiden?_

"What is it? Did you forget something?" Rhodon asked as he looked around as well, hoping to spot whatever it was Jin was searching for. Whatever was on his mind seemed rather important.

"No… Do you know where Damien went? We seemed to have lost him." Jin replied with concern as he carefully reached over and tapped Aiden on the shoulder, "You were last with Damien; do you know where he is located?" he asked him as well to receive fast feedback.

"Damien? He was right… there?" Aiden said in return as he looked towards the end of the aisle where he had last left him. He honestly thought that Damien had been following him the entire time, but apparently that wasn't so. _Where could he have gone?_

Rhodon didn't have a clue either, and he was about ready to go looking for him as well, "I can check the previous aisles. You have my number right?" he asked in case he couldn't find them after his search.

Jin nodded in response and watched as Rhodon rushed off and then looked over at Evan, suddenly feeling a little nervous. Damien was from out of the country, and he probably had never been to a Walmart before. He felt he should have kept a closer eye on him because of his knowledge of the situation, but it was too late to regret that now. It was time to take action!

Evan could see the concern in Jin's eyes, but he waved it off and turned on his heel to assist in the search, "Don't worry, I'll get him. It's not like this is the first time I've had to go after him…" he muttered with a sigh as he walked casually away from the group. He was in no hurry because there was no reason to be. _It's not like Damien is going to leave the store for goodness sake._ He was probably just curious and having a look around. Why he couldn't tell someone that he wanted to scout the place out was beyond him. Sheesh… was this the kid's talent or something? He certainly had a knack for causing trouble, that was for sure. What was worse was that it always seemed to be _him_ that had to come to the rescue.

While Rhodon was searching on the side of the aisle closest to the wall that held the refrigerated meats, Evan was on the other side, only turning his head left and right up the aisles they had passed thus far. He was pretty sure that Damien wouldn't have gone out of his way to separate from the group, so he had to be nearby! Sure enough, he spotted a blonde teen wearing a small yet bulky, old black and red backpack staring at something he held in his hands as he stood in the craft aisle. With a roll of his eyes, Evan shook his head and approached the troublesome roommate of his and came to a stop just beside him to get a good look at what he was holding and also to make him uncomfortable. He wanted him to know that he had done wrong by leaving the group without saying anything. "Look, kid, if you make me go after you one more time, I'm going to have a few choice words for you. I thought we settled this earlier." he commented as he finally looked up at his face to find that Damien was staring at him like a scared, little puppy. _Whoops_. He breathed a sigh as he reached his hand up to rub the back of his neck as he tried to figure out what to say so he didn't totally screw this up, "... What are you looking at?" he asked finally as he pointed at the sketchbook he held. Of course he knew what it was, but Damien was sure to explain what he was doing when he asked that question, right?

Damien was honestly a little spooked by Evan's sudden appearance, and he stared at him ever since he had noticed he was there. Thankfully, this situation was completely different from earlier because now he knew that Evan wasn't some criminal coming after him, but he still preferred not to be left alone with him. He was terrifying! His eyes returned to the sketchbook for only a split second before answering with a rather confused expression upon his face, "A… sketchbook?" It said so right on the cover of it, so why did he bother asking?  
 _… That smartass. He said it. He said what I already knew._ What's sad is that he knew he was going to reply that way. _I knew it! So why did I even ask? This kid…_ Evan closed his eyes and bit his lip as he tried to clear his mind and come up with something as a response that wouldn't completely scare him away. His eyes slowly opened and fell upon the teenager in front of him who stared blankly back. "Damien… do me a favor and put that down so I can take you back to the others. They got worried after you went missing, and if we're both gone too long, they'll probably think I murdered you or something." He said as he gestured for him to put the sketchbook down.

Damien's eyebrows knitted together at first, but the mention of murder sort of gave him incentive to place the sketchbook back where it came from and follow after Evan so that he wasn't left in the presence of this scary sophomore. How was he so unfortunate as to be found by Evan of all people? It's not like he had done anything wrong anyways; he was only looking… He pouted as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked beside Evan, who once again wouldn't allow him to stay behind him. He had to admit… he hadn't given Evan reason to trust him not to run yet.

Relief overcame the other members of the group at the sight of Evan and Damien, though the look upon Damien's face told Jin that Evan had said or done something again. _Geez… What am I going to do with those two? At least he found Damien…_ "Try and stay with the group, okay? Actually… if you want to take a look around by yourself, it's perfectly fine with me if you can just call me when you're done. Can I get your number?" he asked as he pulled out his phone in order to get his contact information.

"Uh… I don't have a cell phone." Damien replied nervously as he scratched the back of his head, "It's okay, I won't leave the group again. I was just comparing this Walmart to the one back home in Liverpool, and I suppose I got a little distracted. I apologize…" he added in as he allowed his eyes to fall upon the tiled floor. He felt embarrassed and also childish because of all the worry he had caused them. However, he understood why he shouldn't be wandering off by himself, and he promised himself that he would try and contain his curiosity for now. They did need to hurry back for dinner…

Aiden was listening in to the conversation, and when he spotted Rhodon passing their aisle and still searching for Damien, he signaled his fellow roommate to get his attention so that he wouldn't keep looking. When Rhodon finally joined the group once more, he quietly explained what was going on so that he wasn't completely lost in conversation. He did pause his discussion with Rhodon when Damien mentioned that he didn't have a phone though… Why didn't he have one? He's from out of the country! Didn't he need to keep in contact with his family and friends? Well, perhaps he skyped on his laptop or something to make up for it… Hopefully he had one of those.

Jin looked just as surprised as Rhodon was about this, but nonetheless, he placed his phone back into his Nike shorts' pocket and gestured for them all to just continue shopping, "We'll just hurry up and finish then so that we can head back home. I'm sure we're all hungry by now…" he remarked as he made a turn down the next aisle.

The group only shopped for another 15 minutes or so, and there were quite a few new additions to the cart by the time they reached the checkout. Jin had grabbed a couple gallons of vitamin D milk, a variation of vegetables and fruits, and finally a few bags of varying meats as well. He was all set! Evan had thrown in a few packs of the instant mac 'n cheese he usually got for himself, but no one else added to the cart after that.

The group soon found themselves waiting in a check-out line to purchase their groceries, but some of them really couldn't help but let their eyes wander. Just around the counter was a long shelf of Pokémon plushies, trading cards and kits, as well as other related items that might catch the eye of any gaming nerd around. Jin was staring in the direction of the items with the desire to have a look, and when Aiden broke from the line to observe the merchandise, he was even more tempted to join him. Damien soon followed after Aiden due to his curiosity, and before long, Jin finally gave in as well.

"Look at this! I've wanted this kit for so long!" Aiden exclaimed as he picked up a tin of Pokémon cards and showed it to Damien who was absolutely clueless about the subject. "This is one of the games I'm going to show to you. You'll really like it, and when you do, you'll have to keep yourself from coming to this section of Walmart. Trust me." he grinned as he gave Damien a pat on the shoulder.

"Oh that one? I got that one a couple months ago; it has a lot of good cards." Jin remarked as he looked over Aiden's shoulder to catch sight of what he was talking about. He then lifted up a sylveon plushie from the shelf and examined it with that college student smile that always said 'I want it, but I know I don't have the money'.

Damien was actually really excited to be shown whatever this game was, and the fact that even the person he assumed was the eldest was into such things sort of made him more interested in the idea of it. However, when he spotted a Pikachu plushie sitting in front of Jin, he came to realize that this game was the one Aiden was talking about with him in the kitchen! Even though he hadn't played the game yet, he already wanted the Pikachu plushie because it was so adorable. If that wasn't weird…

"... What are they doing?" Evan asked Rhodon as he stared at the three from the line he stood in. "This line's going to be over soon, and now we have to unload the cart onto the conveyer belt…" he complained as he hesitantly began to separate out the items. Most of these were Jin's so he didn't see why he had to sort it all out. Then again… he could always just take out his things and leave the rest to them when they got back.

Rhodon laughed at the sight of the college students checking out the 'nerd' aisle as a child, who was probably only about 7 years old, stood near them as he also looked at the merchandise. He liked Pokémon as well, but he wasn't as into it as they were obviously. "I honestly didn't take Jin to be the plushie kind of person myself." he remarked as he pointed out their roommate to Evan who already knew of all of his collectables. "Oh! Looks like they're coming back." he remarked as he watched Evan take out his mac 'n cheese and Pocky and place them on the belt.

The group was soon reunited, with Aiden and Jin still discussing Pokémon with Damien, and the three of them began to help out with the separating of the items while Evan already started paying for his. Within another 10 minutes or so, they were finally out the door and off to return to the house so that they could get dinner at last!


	4. Chapter 3 Pt 2: The First Night

**Chapter 3 Pt. 2: The First Night**

Aiden unlocked the door to the house with the hand that was not holding groceries, and once inside, he stepped aside and held the door open for the others to walk in. After he closed the door behind them, he released a yawn and trudged his way over to the kitchen after the others. How was he already getting tired?! They had a whole night ahead of them! _Knock it out, Aiden, it's too early!_

Jin was the first in the kitchen and was already sorting out the groceries that everyone began to set out. Damien and Rhodon seemed all too ready to help Jin out with this chore, assuming that everyone would assist, but Evan and Aiden seemed to have other plans. While the three of them continued their work, Evan plopped himself down on the couch in a laying position to grab himself a quick nap after all the events of the day.

Aiden was going to strike up some conversation with Evan and maybe even suggest a game or two, but immediately after walking into the living room, Evan was already determined for a nap it seemed! _Didn't he already take a nap today? Perhaps that one didn't count as one… after all, it was still earlier this morning when he took it, so it was just a continued sleep. Maybe… Man, what now? Oh! I can show Damien Pokémon!_ With a snap of his fingers to show his own approval to the idea, he excitedly jogged to his room to obtain his DS and his Gameboy games (he had to play the earlier generations) and his charger before he returned to the living room to wait upon Damien. _Hopefully Rhodon would enjoy watching as well!_

Jin thanked Damien and Rhodon for helping him, but instead of joining them in the living room, he decided to get a start on dinner. He was extremely hungry himself, so there was no way that they weren't as well! He began his search through the cabinets for the pans and utensils, but it came to his attention that Aiden's mother might have taken all of his cooking ware… not that he could blame her after all the stories he's heard. _Well, it's a good thing I brought my own pans…_ With a sigh, he tried to remember where his cooking ware was placed as he scratched his head and looked around with uncertainty. When it clicked, he walked over to the farthest cabinet from the fridge and pulled out all of the necessary items he needed in order to cook the meal.

Upon seeing his reflection in the saucepan, however, Jin stopped what he was doing as a frown came to his lips. It was the first night living with another group of strangers… yet again. He could count how many times he'd moved in with strangers, so it's not that he had experienced this excessively, but every time he always had to be aware that the relationships wouldn't last. Thankfully the people he had lived with here in America didn't turn out to be individuals that he felt attached to, but there was always a chance. He hated the idea that there was always the potential that he would become close friends with someone who would be gone in no time, and it always concerned him for the first couple of weeks.

However, the strange thing about this move-in was the diversity of his new roommates and their personalities. He knew a great deal about Rhodon and Evan and a small bit about Aiden (not of their complete histories), but he was still getting use to Damien, even though he was completely readable. _This kid is so sheltered, there has to be a story about it… He carried his backpack everywhere because it was the one thing he had in the states from his past life in England, and he was overly cautious about others. Why was that?_ He was still speculating, but he had his suspicions. _He held symptoms he had seen before and perhaps_ … With a shake of his head, Jin tried to throw all of these thoughts from his mind and turned his attention back to his cooking. He could feel the emptiness overwhelming him, and as always, he knew he just had to take his mind off of it. Easier said than done, and yet… he always succeeded. It was like a switch that he could just turn off when he was aware that his mind was wandering too much.

So as Jin continued on with the cooking, Aiden had already informed Damien that he would be showing him a thing or two about the gaming world, and just as Aiden had hoped, Rhodon was interested in watching him play as well. The three of them grabbed a seat on the smaller couch that sat perpendicular to the couch that Evan lay on as Aiden simultaneously pressed the 'on' switch that was found on the right side of the DS. He made sure that Damien sat in the middle so that he and Rhodon could watch over his shoulder and help him when he needed, and the sound of the opening of Pokémon Sapphire made him extremely excited, "Just wait, Damien. You're going to love this game! Once you get started, you won't want to put it down!" he informed him with a grin.

Evan's eyes flickered open at the sound of Aiden's voice, which was absolutely lathered with too much excitement. How could he sleep with this guy jabbering? Pokémon music he could handle, but Aiden? No. Not in his sleep. With a scowl in their direction, he grudgingly shifted over onto his other side with his face turned to the backrest of the couch before he placed a pillow over the side of his head to try and block out the noise. _Couldn't they do that in another room? Probably not… After all, Aiden wanted to make sure he stayed involved with ALL of his roommates._

Damien was getting a little excited due to Aiden's influence, but he was also a little nervous being in the middle of the two of them. He didn't know Rhodon at all. _At all_. He didn't even know his name! He was sure he had overheard it during conversations the others held with him, but he most certainly wasn't introduced. _All I have to do is think about the game… that's it. Ignore the people around you and- whoa._ Damien's attention was caught by the animation playing in the game's opening, and even the music was pleasing to his ears! When the opening ended, the game asked him to press start, and once he scanned the console for a brief moment, he followed the directions and did as told, "... Does he have white hair? How old is he?" he asked as he was assigned his male character.

"You did not just ask that." Aiden remarked seriously, yet… jokingly? Everyone he knew that played this particular generation thought that the male character had white hair, and that just wasn't true! He wasn't an old man! "That is a hat. Look, see?" he pointed out as he tried to get Damien to see the tiny details. It was certainly hard to tell, and because Aiden seemed to be oddly passionate about his 'hat', Damien just took his word for it and continued playing.

As the game proceeded, Damien seemed to be completely immersed. Aiden and Rhodon barely had to help him after the first section of the game (of course, this was only speaking with other characters and moving around). Several minutes passed, and Damien's character came upon a man running around in circles with a grey and black dog chasing after him. "Oh..! The dog's chasing him! What do I do?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice and expression. The man was even asking for help! _Wait… he wants me to go in his bag? What for? Isn't it rude to search through someone else's belongings? Well, if he's asking…_ Surprisingly Aiden and Rhodon weren't assisting him this time, so he had to figure this by himself. Hesitantly, he pressed the 'up' button on the control pad and pressed 'A' to click on the bag and find this Poke ball the man was talking about. But wait! _There are three! He said to grab one! What's this? I have to choose?_ A bird-like Pokémon called 'Torchic', a wood gecko Pokémon called 'Treeko', and then a mudfish Pokémon called 'Mudkip' were all open for choosing, and he was so… torn between the three of them. _They are all so cute! Why can't I use all of them?_ "... I have to choose one? What am I choosing it for?"

"Yeah, just one. The one you choose is the one that fights alongside you." Aiden replied as he watched him switch from one Pokémon to the other over and over again.

"It /fights/? Fights what? Who am I fighting? Do I have a good cause?" Damien questioned, obviously wondering if he should even be playing this game. Will his companion get hurt? Would it be his fault? He was beginning to think he wouldn't like the game if that's how it works…

"You fight other Pokémon with your own. Your goal of the game is to catch all of the Pokémon and to defeat all of the gym leaders. To do that, you have to fight. Otherwise you won't get anywhere in the game. Pokémon are kind of built to fight, like warriors. You have a bond with your Pokémon and you take care of them, but you also use them in battle." Rhodon explained, though the more he thought about it, the more he did question the ethics of the game… He was about to say that the Pokémon like what they do, but that was kind of like saying they enjoyed abuse, wasn't it? How wrong is that?

"So… they have to get hurt?" Damien asked just to clarify. _They don't look like warriors… They look so harmless and adorable; they should just be protected! But… maybe there's more to them._ Reluctantly, Damien chose the Mudkip as his starter and began his battle with the dog that was apparently called Poochyena, Lv. 2. _Okay… Fight, Bag, Pokémon, and Run are my options. Run doesn't involve fighting!_ He was quick to click on it, but it immediately told him that he couldn't run away! He selected Bag and Pokémon in an attempt to find something else to do, but his only real option was to fight… _Here it goes_. He first selected 'Growl' because he was aware that it didn't do any damage to the opposing Pokémon, but when the Poochyena attacked with 'Tackle', he was absolutely appalled that his poor Mudkip was injured! Some of his HP was taken away! With a frown, he immediately clicked the 'Fight' button again and this time clicked 'Tackle' in order to defend himself, taking away about half of the HP of the Poochyena. He wasn't for fighting at all, but if he had to defend himself, so be it!

And so it continued… Damien was a little thrown off when he thought that Poochyena had died, but when the game told him it only fainted, he felt a little relief. Of course, it was still a little disappointing to see that he hurt the Pokemon that much, but he was getting use to the game, and it appeared that the fighting wasn't all that bad. Overall the game was quite fun!

30 minutes passed, and the scent of mixed spices, fried chicken, and steamed rice lingered in the living room now, which was making it more and more difficult for the boys to concentrate on the video game. Damien especially was losing interest because all he had eaten today was the plane food he was given on his way over from England, and the smell was making his stomach growl like crazy!

Evan's eyelids steadily opened as he slipped back into consciousness, and he found himself questioning reality for a moment… _Am I still dreaming?_ He was just dreaming about having a good meal, and it smelled exactly the same! _I must still be in a dream… Wait. Wait._ It was far too real to be his dream. Even Aiden's voice was annoyingly loud, which most definitely would not be a part of this dream. He hadn't been living with them long enough to deal with that. Plus, Jin said he was a good cook, right? Evan's eyes widened at this realization, and he found himself sitting up immediately and averting his eyes over to the kitchen to see what Jin was up to. Was he eating all of it already? He squinted in an attempt to see more clearly, having placed his glasses on the table beside the couch before his nap, and he was relieved to see that Jin still seemed to be cooking. With a brief sigh, he stood up and grabbed his glasses, slipping them over the bridge of his nose easily as he began his walk over to the kitchen.

Jin eyed Evan as he entered the kitchen area, and he offered him a curious look, "Dinner isn't quite done yet, but it'll be finished within a few minutes." he informed him in case he was becoming tempted to eat a snack or something. His own mouth was watering from the smell of the food, so he would completely understand that!

"Yeah." Evan responded with a hint of suspicion towards his fellow roommate. He was acting as though he planned on sharing, but did he really mean it? He could eat all of it if given the opportunity, so he made sure to stay nearby until the food was up for grabs. Evan leaned against the island as he watched Jin continue preparing the food, and he couldn't help but to be impressed by his cooking skills. Somehow, this guy had more cooking skills than anyone he had ever seen here at college. Then again, he had noticed that internationals tend to be rather good cooks… Jin just looked rather professional.

 _What was Evan doing? Scoping out the food?_ Jin didn't exactly mind him watching, but he was aware that his roommate wasn't watching because he was interested. He was very aware that Evan was expecting him to eat a great deal of this meal, mainly because of his comment he had made back at the grocery store. Jin actually found it quite humorous and was half-tempted to get a huge bowl for himself just to joke around with him. Maybe that would teach him to put a little trust in him! _Or maybe not. It may just put him in a- Oh… Say, that's an idea._ "... Evan? Would you mind setting the dining table up for dinner?" he asked as he glanced at him hopefully.

… _Set the table? Is he serious? Leave him alone with the food? No way!_ Evan kept his eyes steady on Jin, even though he had already turned his attention back to the food. He was adamant about not moving until he received his serving of food, but at the same time, he came to realize that he wouldn't be getting his food until the table was set. Evan scowled at the back of Jin's head before he finally turned to fetch his other roommates. He didn't set the table. He was too lazy for this kind of stuff. If he was doing something, they had to as well! He approached the three gamers and was quick to nudge Aiden's foot with his own while offering him an intimidating scowl, which remained on his face from his interaction with Jin, "We have to set the table. Come on." he urged them without moving a muscle until they showed signs of moving as well.

"Food's ready? Great! Come on, let's hurry up and make sure there's room for everything on the dining table so we can eat!" Aiden exclaimed as he gratefully received the DS from Damien, closed it, and slipped it into his pocket for later. He stood and gestured for the others to follow, more excited than usual to actually do chores. He normally would not be this eager to help out with household duties, but this was the first time he would be eating Korean food, so it was kind of worth it!

Damien was going to follow after Aiden, but he for some reason was sort of blocked by Evan. Maybe unintentionally? He didn't have a clue, but he was definitely caught off guard by it. Nervously, he stepped to the right and then the left in an attempt to get past him, but Evan followed suit! _Is he blocking me on purpose?_

"Damien, this way." Rhodon laughed as he watched the two practically dance around each other in an attempt to get things done. He could tell that Evan was just trying to get around the kid and vice versa, but neither of them knew who would step aside first! He gestured for Damien to go to the right and watched him hurry off to the dining room with a sneak glance to Evan.

Evan was really not trying to bully Damien around. That time. He was really just wanted to speak with Rhodon about something, and Damien was going in the opposite direction. Poor kid is going to think that he has something out for him… What can he do though? It's not his fault that they keep having awkward interactions. Right? He shook the thought from his mind and reminded himself that he had a question for Rhodon, "Hey, you know Jin, right? I mean… you've seen him eat. He claims he doesn't eat at home like he does at restaurants, but have you, you know… witnessed it?" he asked hopefully. He just did not trust Jin with all of that food.

Rhodon raised his eyebrows as his grin broadened, "Evan… Jin isn't going to eat your food, if that's what you're wondering. Come on." he laughed as he gestured for him to join them in setting everything up.

Evan breathed an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes as he grudgingly followed after his acquaintance. He really didn't want to set the table; he did that enough when his four siblings didn't listen to what his parents had to say. If that's what he had to do get food, though, he didn't really have a choice. He reluctantly returned to the kitchen and walked through it to reach the dining table only to find that it was already set up by Aiden and Damien! Rhodon was already grabbing the cups, too! Wow, these people were reliable! He didn't have anything to do now! His excitement soon dissipated, however, when Jin asked him to help out with the food. He thought he'd get out of the work, but- _wait. I'm going to be able to take the food? So, he really_ _ **is**_ _sharing?_ Evan waited as Jin poured the chicken onto a serving plate and handed it to him for him to place on the center of the dining room table. Jin followed after and placed another serving plate of rice beside the chicken. Evan sat down with the others at this time, with Damien and Aiden on one side, Evan and Rhodon on the other.

Once all of them were situated, Jin went ahead and prepared to serve all of them, but he wanted to do something before serving the food. "So I'm sure you're all hungry, as am I, but before we get to eating, I thought we should introduce ourselves to each other and discuss a few things about ourselves now that everyone is here. Oh, and you cannot eat without saying something." he remarked with an authoritative air about him.

"Wait, what?" Evan asked with a look of disgust in his direction. The food was hot _now_. It was obviously ready to be eaten, and yet he was stalling? _Why that sly little… Ugh_. He breathed a deep sigh before standing from his seat to speak up just to get to the food, "So what do you want us to say? I thought we did this earlier." he asked uncertainly as he kept a firm eye on Jin.

"If you could just say your name, where you're from, and a little bit of background about yourself." Jin replied as he sat himself down to listen to what Evan had to say. _This should definitely prove interesting…_

 _Background? Like what? This is going to be the death of me!_ Evan could feel his temperature rising as he suddenly became nervous about the situation. Social speaking was never his thing, and a background was the last thing he wanted to give to a group of strangers. Well… he didn't have to say a whole lot at least. "Okay, so… I'm Evan Sugar. I'm from San Diego, California, and I'm a sophomore at Berea majoring in English. My labor position is in Public Safety. Let's see… I… have four siblings. My sister is 18 years old and my brothers are 14, 15, and 17 years old, and we all live with my dad." He replied as he scratched the back of his head to keep himself from just fidgeting. He quickly sat himself down to relieve himself of the stares he was getting, and he hoped that whoever else would hurry up and speak next.

Rhodon could tell that Evan was nervous, and he really couldn't blame him. At least it showed he was human to the others that didn't know him as well! He tried to think of what he should say and then stood up once Evan was seated, "Uh, I'm Rhodon Hope. I'm from Canada originally, but I moved to New York City when I was 14. I have two older sisters, ages 21 and 22, and yeah… I think that's all. Oh, and I'm a sophomore as well, and my major is child and family studies. My labor position is in the CDL, which is the child development lab in case some of you don't know." he said, basically just following the outline that Evan had set up.

Jin was the next to stand up, and he seemed to have practiced the entire thing before! He didn't hesitate in any of his words, and he was very at ease, "I'm Jin Kasey, I'm a junior business major, and I'm from Seoul, South Korea. My primary labor position is Korean TA, and for my secondary, I work at the office of admissions. I do not have any siblings, and I live on my own." he said with a smile and head bow at the end before he sat himself back down. His was probably the fastest!

Damien was next, and the entire time that the others were speaking, he was trying to figure out what to say. He noticed that he was supposed to be using the same format that everyone else was using, but he wasn't ready for that. This was his first time alone with strangers, and it was the first time that he didn't have supervision from an elder. No one to scold him if he said something wrong, no one to tell him he should or should not say or do something… He was free of control, and yet he was still bound to it. What was worse for him was the simple fact that he wasn't comfortable speaking about himself. He didn't exactly like to lie either, and so he was stuck in this situation he had never encountered… Damien could feel sweat forming in his hands, and as he stood, his legs began to shake. After all this thinking he didn't have a clue what to tell them, so he just spoke what he could, "I um… I'm Damien Kooke… from Liverpool, England. I-I will be a freshman chemistry major, and I will be working in dining services. I have a twin brother. And I…" he took a moment to gulp down the frog in his throat as he made a last minute decision, "Well, I uh… I live with him." he said finally before quickly sitting down. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, and he had the gut instinct to get out of the room and find somewhere to just breathe. He denied this to himself to save him the embarrassment, though.

Evan wasn't all that interested in this whole idea, but Damien's little introduction caught his attention. Watching him shake like that just because he didn't know anyone around him caused him to surprisingly feel a bit of concern for the kid. He didn't know what was going on in his head, but it was obvious that he was beyond uncomfortable. Almost as uncomfortable as he had looked when Paul had grabbed hold of him. He almost spoke up when he noticed Damien was having a hard time, but he finished before he could get a word in. Evan's eyes wavered on Damien for only a couple more seconds before he adjusted his glance towards Aiden.

"All right, so I guess I'm the last. I'm Aiden Valentine, and I'm an incoming freshman theatre major that will be working at the library. I am from right here in Berea, and I am an only child. I live with my mom. Or, I used to. Obviously I don't anymore." Aiden laughed as he breezed through his introduction. He didn't mind sharing things about himself because he had come to learn that it was part of who he was. Of course, there were limitations to how open he was, but he didn't really mind brief introductions like this.

"Okay, thank you all for discussing this, and I am sorry for putting you on the spot. I just think it's better to get to know the people you are living with." Jin was glad to know more about these other individuals, though some of them didn't exactly tell him things he didn't know already. Still, he was grateful for their discussion and was ready to start serving. He began by giving equal amounts of rice to each person first and then proceeding to do the same with the chicken. He served himself last and then sat himself on the end of the table between Rhodon and Damien. "Jal meokgesseumnida~!" he said excitedly as he went ahead and started eating. Being the oldest, he didn't wait for anyone else to eat first, when in Korea he knew many elders he would wait on to eat.

The others watched Jin for a moment as he spoke in his language, but they were all eager to dig in as well. Evan and Aiden shared similar table manners; both only used their forks as a utensil, completely disregarding the spoons and knives they were given. Evan was much faster in his eating pace, however, and he found that with each bite, he was becoming more and more grateful that he chose Jin. This year was going to be fantastic. As for Damien and Rhodon, both actually used more than one utensil in order to pick up the rice in a more efficient way. Again, out of the two, Damien was the faster eater, but he still didn't quite beat Evan. Not that… Evan was the fastest. Jin was certainly taking the lead on speed as he had before. The anxiety that had built up in most of them was quickly disappearing with every bit of food they ate.

After dinner, Aiden, Rhodon, and Damien returned to Pokémon Sapphire for another couple of hours while Jin played Link Between Worlds on his 3DS and Evan was occupied with writing in his black covered spiral notebook. The group passed the time rather quickly, switching between video games and chatting, though Damien was completely hooked on the game and didn't much partake in discussions. In no time, the clock upon the living room wall next to the TV struck 11:00 p.m., and the group unanimously agreed to call it a night.

Aiden showed them all to the master bedroom where they would each be staying for the night and pulled some blankets and pillows from the closet for whoever needed them, "We will be picking up furniture on Sunday, so until then, I think it's a great idea for us all to camp out in the same room!" he informed the others as he began to lay the blankets across the floor to form beds. "Because there are five of us, I think two of us can sleep with our feet towards the wall and three of us can stagger our heads with theirs. I've heard that close proximities with other people can help overcome any barriers you may have with them. It's very healthy." he commented with a raised pointer finger as though this was something to write in one's notes.

Jin knit his eyebrows together and grimaced, almost certain that he had found that on the internet where everything 'must be true' (that was something he heard many Americans speak of sarcastically). Oh well, if that's what he wanted, he wasn't going to argue with it. He was ready for sleep after this long day, and he was sure that the others were, too. "All right, well, I think I'll choose the one closest to the window but not against the wall." he remarked as he walked himself over to the farthest blanket from the door and tossed his pillow onto it.

Rhodon considered this for a moment and then decided on the blanket that was close to the wall and farthest from the door, which would place his head between Jin's and whoever would take the middle blanket. Aiden chose the blanket next to Rhodon, leaving Evan and Damien the last two blankets farthest from the wall.

Evan wasn't surprised by Aiden's suggestion, but that most certainly didn't mean that he had to like it. _Do we really have to be this close to one another?_ With a pout, he decided to just suck it up and was about to grab the blanket closest to the door when he realized that Damien also hadn't chosen his spot yet. What if being between two people would be too much for him? As much as he wanted the end, he tossed his pillow onto the middle blanket and allowed Damien to have that spot, assuming that's actually what he wanted. Hopefully he didn't just place himself in the center of snores…

Damien gathered two extra blankets and a pillow from Aiden's stack he had placed just outside the closet, and he settled himself down onto the blanket that was left for him, which really was the one that he had hoped to get. It's too bad that Evan was the one next to him, but maybe he wasn't that bad? It was so hard to tell! Carefully, he removed his backpack from his shoulders and placed it beside him while he was getting situated underneath his blankets, and then he pulled the sack close to him in his arms. There was some comfort he found in his backpack, and he didn't want anyone taking any of the belongings inside, so this was his way of keeping tabs on it.

As the other four lay themselves down to sleep, Jin went ahead and turned out the lights before he returned to his blanket. He gently lay the back of his head upon his slightly-fluffed pillow and breathed a sigh as he looked up at the ceiling. He had so many questions floating through his mind regarding his roommates, and he found himself piecing things together and considering the things that were yet to be known about them. It had been a long day, but even though his eyelids were heavy, he couldn't turn his mind off.

"Well… this has been an interesting day. I'm glad to have finally met all of my roommates, though. To be honest, I delayed my apartment search so much that I thought I wouldn't have a place to live." Rhodon remarked with a quiet laugh as he lay with the back of his head rested upon the palms of his hands, also looking to the ceiling.

"... Oh. Yeah, about that… You haven't met all of the roommates yet." Aiden remarked thoughtfully as he finally remembered to mention this fact to them. He just didn't have it on his mind because he already knew who his other two roommates were, so what did he need to think about that for? He only needed to remember when they were coming.

"Aiden. What do you mean we haven't met all of the roommates?" Evan asked seriously. _This information would have been nice to know the day I moved in_. "We didn't interview anyone else, and we agreed on everyone we denied. Did you forget to tell us something?"

"Kind of… Neither of them were interviewees. I've met them before. Well, sort of. One's from Japan and the other one is from Texas. They both arrive sometime tomorrow." Aiden replied, fully understanding why Evan wasn't too happy with him. _Yep, I should have told them. It's not like I_ _ **meant**_ _to keep that hidden from them, though!_

"When you say you 'sort of met them before', are you saying you actually haven't?" Rhodon questioned him as well, wondering if this was just some haphazard decision made when he first came up with the idea to have roommates in his home. Now that he thought about it… _is this his home or is he renting it? Maybe that's a question for later…_

"I actually met Hiroshi, the Japanese guy, last year. He was nice. A little weird, but nice. I thought it'd be cool for him to stay here since he only comes for the school year and probably didn't want to stay on campus. The guy from Texas is someone I've been playing online games with. I've never met him in real life, but he seems pretty cool. He's a rancher! His name is Andy Chim… Chim… Yeah, I don't know how to say his last name. It's Italian, and he told me his last name orally instead of typing it, so… Yeah." Aiden replied uncertainly. He's going to have to clarify that last name with him when he sees him.

"You met this Chim Chim person online? Do you even know the probabilities of this individual being a possible criminal?" Jin spoke up. _Aiden really should be more careful about his lack of caution_. Only one day with him showed Jin that he was way too trusting of others, which could be a good or bad thing. Usually it was the latter.

Damien frowned as he listened into the conversation, and because he felt Aiden should know a little more about safety, he decided to pipe up as well, "I don't know the statistics of that, but more than 16,000 abductions, 100 murders, and over a thousand rapes occur every year because of online scams…" he said with a frown. He had read this information in a book that was published just last year, so the numbers might be a little off for this year but close enough. He just had to inform him that it was risky.

The entire group looked towards Damien with either perplexed or dumbfounded expressions plastered upon their faces. Did he just say that? "Gee, Damien… thanks for that." Aiden remarked as he began to feel uncertain about his online friend now. No way could he be one of those scammers! This guy was genuinely nice! _But… what if?_

"Okay, I don't think it was necessary to speak of all of those things, but as Damien said, you should consider these things when dealing with people you don't know personally." Jin remarked with concern. He was sure Aiden meant well, but it was kind of the same situation as the interviews- he just didn't consider the bad side of people.

"Berea wouldn't allow someone like that to go to school here, though. Think about it; this school is a crazy opportunity. They don't just give it to anyone." Aiden disagreed, hoping that would prove his reasoning.

"Please… Berea doesn't perform background checks. How do you think I got in?" Evan remarked with his eyes closed as he was still trying to go to sleep. He just wanted to say something that would shock everyone enough to make them shut up. And it worked.

The room filled with silence after Evan's comment, and Damien especially found his comment to be rather disturbing. He sat up and looked in Jin's direction, but he didn't expect to receive a shake of the head from the eldest.

"Evan's not a criminal. Don't worry about it." Jin informed the others and gestured for Damien to lay back down to get some sleep. He nudged Evan's shoulder with his hand to essentially tell him that he shouldn't have said that and then turned onto his right side to face the window and get some sleep of his own.

Evan's eyes only opened when he was confronted and nudged by Jin, and he narrowed his eyes at him with a scowl before he pulled his blankets up to his chest and closed his eyes once more. How did Jin know he wasn't a criminal? Jin didn't know him that well, so it's not like he could be that positive about the matter. It's a good thing he really wasn't a criminal because otherwise, Jin would definitely be in for it. He acted as though he knew him already, and it kind of bugged him.

No more was spoken among the roommates as most of them questioned Evan's comment while they were trying to sleep. Evan was the first to drift off and was soon followed by Aiden and Rhodon. Jin and Damien remained awake for another half hour or so until their minds finally drifted away from their thoughts and into a deep slumber.

However, a few hours after their sleep had begun, Evan rolled over onto his left side, facing the door, and slowly opened his eyelids as he came upon the unfortunate realization that his body had woken him up for some reason unknown to him. He didn't have the urge to use the restroom, the temperature was satisfactory, and he hadn't heard any noises that might have woken him up, so what the heck was his body doing? His eyes remained just barely opened as he stared at the blankets and pillow that lay beside him, and the more he began to register reality, the sooner he realized that the blankets beside him should have someone under them. _What the…?_ Both Damien and his backpack were missing!

Evan sat up, brushed a hand through his hair, and rubbed his eyes to wake himself up, and he soon forced himself to stand up and scan the room for any sign of Damien. He was grateful that his eyes were already adjusted to the darkness, but he still couldn't see too clearly, especially without his glasses. Quietly, he walked over to the wall and searched for his glasses that he had placed on top of his notebook earlier in the night. When he found them, he slipped them on and hurried to the door where he slipped through the crack that was just big enough for him to squeeze through without having to open it any further. _Did I scare the kid that much? How long had he been gone?_ He cursed at himself as he rushed into the living room towards the front door to slip on his shoes, but he came to an abrupt stop when he spotted a figure sitting on the window sill staring straight at him. Evan could have sworn that he had experienced a mini heart attack because he didn't exactly register that it was only Damien and not someone who had broken into the house, so the bit of adrenaline that had begun to pulse into his bloodstream caused him to breathe just slightly heavier than normal. _What was he doing scaring him like that?! He was supposed to be in bed!_ Evan took a few seconds to return to a relaxed mindset, and once ready, he spoke up as he approached his roommate, "What are you doing out here? Couldn't sleep?" he asked, hoping he didn't scare the kid yet again.

Damien was surprised to see Evan up this early, considering he was aware that it was now 2 o'clock in the morning. He seemed to be in a hurry as he appeared from the hall, but for some reason, whatever was so important must have fled from his mind. He removed his headphones from his ears and became a little nervous when Evan began walking towards him, but his questions sounded surprisingly genuine. With a shake of his head, he responded to him in a whisper so that he didn't disturb the others, "No… I came out here so I wouldn't wake any of you up."

Evan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he came up with something to say. He had gone through many of these kinds of situations with his siblings when they had something troubling them, and because this case was so similar, he didn't feel so awkward confronting Damien as he would his younger brother, "What's bothering you?"

Damien offered a shrug and turned his head away to look out the window, gazing upon the brightly-lit half-moon that held its position in the sky. There were many things that were bothering him, and to pick just one was impossible. He didn't know how to explain what he was feeling or why he was feeling it… If anything, he felt wrong being here. His chest ached the more he thought of what he left back home, and he felt so many emotions tugging him in all directions. His stomach even felt twisted in a knot…

A shrug was not exactly what Evan was hoping for, but it was quite typical of someone who didn't want to discuss what they were feeling. He himself was guilty of it. The problem was that whatever was keeping him from sleeping needed to be resolved somehow, at least enough for him to rest. _What might be bothering him? He had a good dinner and played video games before bed, and he doesn't seem to be afraid of me, so that comment from last night couldn't be it…_ He began to consider that maybe it wasn't the roommates or the house in general that was causing him to be like this. When he first moved from California to come to school, he distinctly remembered his first few nights and how excited he was to be away from home and to be away from the siblings he had so much trouble with. However, after the rush of excitement he had experienced those initial days, he remembered that he had really come to miss his home and family, even though he had told himself that he wanted the distance. Perhaps this was what Damien was feeling… It was possible that someone could experience a longing for home during the first night, he was almost positive.

Uncertain as to whether or not this was the problem, Evan allowed a few moments of silence to come between them before he felt he should really try to discuss the matter with him by beating around the bush first, "Are you upset about the living arrangement?" He received a shake of his head to say 'no'. "Are you anxious because you don't know any of us?" He received a shrug. "... You miss England, don't you?" he asked finally, awaiting a response that would never come. Damien didn't move a muscle after the last question because he didn't exactly know how to reply. "That's what I thought… You're just homesick. Give yourself some time to adjust, and you'll be fine. Skipping sleep will just make it worse." Evan informed him as he carefully reached out and patted him on the shoulder before gesturing for his roommate to follow him.

 _Homesick_? Damien had heard so many things about the word before, but he had never experienced it. The thing is… He didn't know it was possible for him to ever know how homesickness felt. He wasn't like others, and he didn't have the luxuries that many people shared. All he knew was that he was an entire ocean away from his brother, and he felt as though half of his identity was missing. His eyes gazed upon Evan as he questioned whether he should really follow him or not. His legs seemed to move before his mind gave the O.K., and before long, he was standing in the kitchen with Evan, who had turned on the lights to be able to see. _Didn't he say that I needed to go to sleep?_

Without any hesitation, Evan pulled a random blue cup down from a cabinet and used the automatic water dispenser on the fridge door to fill the glass with the water. He handed the cup to Damien, who was surprised to be receiving it, yet grateful at the same time, seeing as to how he was quick to gulp the cup down. _Somehow, this kid needs to get into contact with his family._ It didn't seem right for him to be going through so many shocks at once, and he knew that the best way to get past homesickness was to get in touch with loved ones. He wondered if his family was even able to be contacted though… Damien didn't have a cell phone, so did any of his family have one? He patiently waited for his roommate to finish the water and then placed it in the sink when he was done, "Alright, now let's go to bed. We'll wash the cup in the morning." _Or… someone will._ Evan turned out the lights again and yawned as he followed Damien back to the room, grateful that he didn't even argue with him. He wouldn't have the energy for that right now…

As the two of them lay back down, Damien set his backpack back down, breathed a deep sigh, and kept his eyes wide open and trained on the ceiling as he continued to think about all that was on his mind. In a matter of seconds, however, Evan spoke to him in a whisper to pull him out of his thoughts, "Hey, quit thinking and concentrate on your breathing or something." he insisted in a mumble as he, too, began to close his eyes. Damien looked in his direction for a moment before he turned onto his side and at last made the attempt to return to the sleep he truly needed. Hopefully he would fall asleep fast.


	5. Chapter 4: Full House

**Chapter 4: Full House**

The next morning, the clock upon the wall indicated that it was nearing nine o'clock, and Rhodon was scrolling through his Facebook on his phone out of pure boredom while he waited for one of the others to wake up. When he noticed Jin was awake as well, he decided to sit up and glance around the room to see if anyone else was up. Aiden was sprawled out on his bedding, taking almost all of the blanket space and a little more; his foot was invading Rhodon's own blanket territory. On the other hand, Evan was the complete opposite: he was lying on his back and his body remained in almost a straight line, taking up no more space than his own. Damien was curled up with his arms close to his chest and his knees lined perpendicular to his back; his backpack was behind him closer to the door, and his blankets had been moved to his feet. "Man… looks like everyone really needed this sleep or something," he whispered to his friend with a small grin.

"It may just be normal that they sleep in, too…" Jin remarked quietly as he tried to stifle a yawn and raised himself to a sitting position as well. The other three seemed to be in such a deep sleep that he was sure whispering wouldn't bother them. "Might as well see what we have for everyone to eat," he added in as he brushed his fingers quickly through his hair and then stood up to make his temporary bed. He then maneuvered around his other two roommates to make it to the door, but paused at the sight of Damien. With little effort necessary, he carefully picked up the blanket that lay at the boy's feet and placed it over him before he left the room and gestured for Rhodon to follow as he disappeared from sight.

Rhodon wasn't all that hungry, but he knew he would be sooner or later. Influenced only slightly by Jin, he stood and made his bed in a similar fashion and then proceeded to step over Aiden's first leg… only to step on his other one by accident. "Crap!" Rhodon gasped as he slipped and fell onto both of Aiden's legs as a result. He didn't mean to fall on him, but he didn't know that what he mistook for a crease in the blanket was actually his leg!

Aiden jolted awake and yelped as soon as Rhodon's foot made contact with his right leg. Obviously, the last thing he expected was for that to be followed by 120 lbs. of force on both of his legs. He groaned as he tried to turn his head in order to see who was torturing him at this time of morning, "What are you doing...?!" He demanded to know why his sleep was being interrupted, especially in the manner it was being done.

"Shhh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I slipped!" Rhodon apologized quickly in a whisper as he practically jumped away from Aiden. _Wow… Aiden is scary in the morning._ He didn't expect him to yell… like ever.

"Seriously, guys..? Shut up…" Evan groaned. He had been awoken by Aiden yet again, and after last night, he was not ready to be pulled out of his slumber.

"It's not my fault he stepped on my leg!" Aiden informed Evan in defense of himself as he sat up and quickly rubbed his leg as though the friction would free him from the pain.

"I said I was sorry!" Rhodon responded quietly. He definitely regretted what he had done, though, but it wasn't as if it was on purpose. _I couldn't have helped it!_ "But Damien's still asleep, so if you could quiet down just a little…" he suggested as he nodded in the boy's direction. Somehow their roommate was sleeping through it all, and he didn't want to be the reason for _everyone's_ sleep to be disturbed.

Aiden was about to respond to Rhodon in an argumentative manner (mainly because he felt he was robbed of his sleep), but he contained himself when he looked over at Damien and saw that he really was still asleep. "Oh… Still…" he muttered with a pout as he looked away from his roommate, "I can't believe you stepped on me…"

Evan pushed himself up and heaved a deep sigh as he stormed out of the room and headed for the living room. _Where's Jin?_ He wanted answers. _How could he leave the room unmanned?_ His eyes scanned the room as he entered it, but once he heard the water running in the kitchen, he had no need to look for him anymore. Without any hesitation, he approached Jin and tapped him on the shoulder, even though he was busy washing the cup that Evan himself had left in the sink last night. "How long have you been up?" he asked immediately.

"Uh… five minutes or so. Why?" Jin asked, obviously confused by the question. Why was Evan up? Was he worried as to why he was awake already? It was nine already, so it shouldn't be surprising… Then again, this was Evan, so it had to be something else.

"You left them unattended, and I'm awake now," Evan replied with a hint of hostility in his voice. _If he left only five minutes ago, then he must have known that Rhodon was awake_. He didn't really consider Rhodon a troublemaker until then, but his mind had definitely changed. He woke Aiden up, and that was just not a good idea when others were trying to sleep.

Jin knit his eyebrows together as he listened to what Evan had to say, and for a moment he just stared at him. _He wants me to babysit them until everyone else is awake?_ He assumed that Rhodon was following him; how was he supposed to know that he would wake them up? "I'm… sorry? I think? Evan, you're sleep deprived, aren't you?"

"How could you tell?" Evan muttered in response as he took a seat at the breakfast bar and rested his head in his hand with his elbow propped up on the counter, "That kid had me up for an hour last night…" he complained in a low voice to explain why he was so tired. He had only spoken to him for half an hour, but he had stayed awake to make sure Damien actually fell back asleep.

"Well, that explains this cup." Jin remarked as he raised the cup that he had just cleaned in the air for a moment and then placed it in the cupboard where it belonged. "Did he wake you?"

"Nah, I woke up on my own. I don't know how long he was up for, but I got up thinking that he had run off. He was just sitting in the living room though. It took me almost half an hour to finally find out that he was awake because he was homesick. I swear, he needs communication skills…" Evan remarked with a groan as he allowed his head to gently hit the counter. _Last night was frustrating, this morning is frustrating... I just want sleep!_

Jin wasn't surprised to hear that Damien was homesick, but it did concern him that he was up late because of it. If it keeps up, his health might be affected, and that was the last thing he needed in the beginning of the school year. However, Evan's last comment made him chuckle as he leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, Before he could comment on the matter, however, he was interrupted by Aiden, who took a seat beside Evan at the bar and spoke up.

"No offense, but you're not exactly the master of communication skills yourself," he remarked before he let out a yawn. He was only being honest with him. "Damien's homesick? What can we do about that?"

"... Aiden. When I get the energy, you will regret that comment," Evan mumbled grumpily.

"He means well…" Rhodon commented with a small laugh as he sat on Aiden's other side, "Maybe we can do something for Damien to make him feel more at home," he suggested.

"Well… we can, but I'm not sure how easy it will be. I think the only way to fix it is to call his family, and considering he doesn't have a cell phone, I kind of wonder if they have a phone or anything. We would need his information, too…" Jin remarked with a frown as he pondered what to do. He was completely in touch with his own mother ever since he left, so it wasn't that difficult to be able to cope when he felt he needed a sense of home.

"Oh, that's easy. You just need his house information? His mom gave me the information I needed to contact her about any problems with the housing, so…" Aiden trailed off with a shrug, suggesting they might as well get in touch with them and help Damien out. "We can use my cell phone."

"Sounds like a plan! We could call, make sure they are available to speak and then surprise Damien awake and tell him they're on the phone!" Rhodon commented excitedly, though he soon quieted down when he realized he still had the chance of waking him up.

"You don't think we should wake him first? I don't think he'd appreciate a surprise awakening…" Evan remarked as he sat himself up and eyed them accusingly. "Besides, wouldn't he feel better if he knew they were calling to see how he was doing?" He was surprised they hadn't contacted Aiden about Damien thus far, and it struck him as being abnormal for parents sending their kids out of the country. At least, he thought it was abnormal. He really had no experience.

"That's true… Aiden, why don't you call his mom? Ask her if she can call in an hour or so, and we'll make sure Damien is awake by then. We just have to hope that she answers," Jin decided after receiving their collective suggestions.

Aiden nodded and reached into his- _oh. I'm still wearing pajamas. Where did I leave my phone again?_ He held his pointer finger up to gesture for them to wait a moment as he thought of all the places he might have placed his device. "Um… wait a sec," he asked of them as he jumped from his seat and hurried back to the bedroom. He quietly returned to his bedding and searched the blankets for his missing mobile phone. "Don't you worry, Damien, we're going to make you feel right at home!" he whispered once he found the object and rushed out of the room to return to the rest of the group. "Got it! Now to find the number…" he remarked as he unlocked the phone and began to scroll through his contacts. _What was her name again?_ Aiden had only spoken with the lady once, so he wasn't very familiar with her name. His mother was the one who really set this all up with her.

 _Ah! Allison Byrd. Wait… was that Damien's last name?_ He couldn't recall. _Oh well._ With the push of a button, he raised the cell to his ear and listened to the ring, waiting for someone to pick up. A concerned expression fell upon his face after a moment, and he looked at the others, hoping they would respond positively, "Wait, are they even awake?"

Evan looked over at Aiden and tried his best to not sound rude in his response, "Yes. Aiden, it's nearly 3:00pm over there." Time zones were really annoying to keep up with, and he understood that. The reason why he was holding back from giving him attitude was because he should have asked that before he even dialed!

"Oh… Oh, yes! Hello, uh… you're not… Allison Byrd, are you?" Aiden was caught off guard by the other line because he was not expecting a male voice to answer. He knew that Allison was a woman. He spoke with her! Maybe this was the wrong number, and Allison could be a guy's name, too? "Huh? Oh, no… I apologize, I didn't think so… You know who she is? ... Is she? Oh, that makes sense. Wait, so who is this? ... Dominic? No, I don't know who you are… Who am I? I was calling to speak with Ms. Byrd about my new roommate who just arrived yesterday." Suddenly Aiden had to pull his ear away from the phone when Dominic's voice got too loud for him. He sounded really excited! After he listened to Dominic question him about Damien and how he was doing, he waited for a good time to enter back into the conversation to finally speak with him again, "Yeah, Damien's okay, he arrived safely, and it's all good. The thing is, he was up late last night feeling homesick and had trouble sleeping, so we were hoping to get a family member to speak with him… Yeah? You will? Great! How about in an hour? ... Now? I don't know, he really needs sleep… You're sure? All right, just a sec." He placed the phone to his chest so Dominic couldn't hear him speaking to the others. "It's his twin brother. I thought it was Damien at first, but obviously… well, if I hadn't known he had a twin, it would have been weird. Anyways, he wants us to wake Damien up so that he can talk to him. What do you guys think? He can take a nap, right?"

The other roommates were completely intrigued by this conversation that was being held. At first, they were judging Aiden's terrible phone skills, but when they discovered it was Damien's twin he was talking to, they were eager to hear what was going on. Rhodon spoke up first after thinking about the situation. "I think it's okay if we wake him up for this. It'll benefit his health in the long run, and he could catch up on sleep later."

Jin wasn't as sure as they seemed to be, and he looked over at Evan to show his concern. "You said you don't know how long he was up? He may have been up for hours without us knowing…" he considered with a frown as he scratched the back of his head.

"You don't know that. I say give it a shot. It's almost 9:20; that's a decent amount of sleep." Evan chimed in as the last person to give his say. It was 3 against 1, so the decision was made!

Aiden nodded and then returned to his conversation with Dominic, "Okay, we're going to wake him up… what? You want to? Well, okay…" he agreed as he pressed the speaker button and walked through the hallway to the back room with the other 3 trailing behind him. He slowly squatted down beside Damien, who was facing away from him, and gave Dominic the okay to start saying whatever he had in mind as he positioned the phone closer to him.

"Damien. Damien, wake up, it's your older brother… Damien, if you don't wake up to this, I will not hesitate to startle you…" The brother said calmly as he waited for a response from his younger twin. "Daaaaaamieeeen… All right, you give me no choice." he cleared his throat and after a few moments of silence, he spoke up a thousand times louder, "WAKE UUUUUP! WAKE UUUUUUP! DAMIEN, YOU'RE BURNING DAYLIGHT!"

Damien jolted awake and looked every which way as soon as his brother began yelling over the phone, and the sight of all of his roommates before him came as quite the surprise to him. He was expecting… well, his brother of course. While this did come as a disappointment, he was still absolutely shocked to see that Aiden was holding the phone that held his brother's voice. He was speechless as he just stared at the device.

"... Is he really not awake yet?" Dominic questioned, having yet to hear any result other than the quiet laughing of Rhodon and Aiden.

"No, he's awake. He's just a little surprised I think." Aiden responded with a laugh as he handed the phone to Damien, "Here, your brother wanted to speak with you. We'll be out here whenever you're done," he informed him as he turned off the speaker and gestured for him to raise the phone to his ear. He then stood back up and followed the others out of the room, closed the door behind him, and finally made his way back to the kitchen, completely excited about the situation, "I wonder how they talk together. Did you hear his brother? They're complete opposites!" he remarked as he reclaimed his seat at the breakfast bar.

"It was definitely weird hearing Damien's voice talk that much. I was shocked to hear him yell!" Rhodon laughed as he and Evan also sat in the seats they were previously in.

"Damien may actually be more talkative than he lets on. I just hope this helps ease him into this living situation. Aiden, be prepared to have your phone missing for hours on end from now on," Jin remarked with a grin as he began to search through the cabinets for something to eat. _Did we even remember to buy breakfast ingredients?_ The more he searched, the more he had to accept the fact that they had forgotten to purchase food for this time of day. "Okay… it looks like we'll be eating cereal for breakfast. You do have cereal… right, Aiden?" he questioned hopefully, having assumed he would at least have that.

"Cereal? Um… Yeah, actually." Aiden replied as he again hopped down from his seat and joined Jin in the search, "I usually hide my cereal up here so that my mom can't find it. She doesn't really think that cereal is the proper breakfast food. At least, for me," he replied as he pulled open the cabinet doors that were situated above the fridge and brought down 3 boxes of cereal. "There's Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, and Cap'n Crunch," he announced as he placed them on the island.

 _No wonder where he gets all of his energy… He eats the most sugary stuff._ Evan scrunched his nose in disgust at the thought of it. He did like some of those cereals, but he felt that there needed to be some kind of cereal there that balanced out the sugary ones. He personally didn't eat breakfast. It wasn't that he didn't want to eat, but his stomach didn't allow him to. It was sort of miserable.

Jin's face basically showed everything that Evan was thinking as well. _Nothing but sugar in those cereals_! He could at least settle for Cap'n Crunch; that wasn't as bad as the others. "Looks like we'll have to go shopping again… But Aiden? Why didn't your mother approve of cereal as breakfast?" he asked uncertainly. He didn't think it was a great breakfast, but wasn't it what Americans typically ate in the morning?

"What? Oh, that… Yeah, I burned cereal once. But I was eight! I swear, she thinks I'm still that same kid, but I'm not. I've not burned cereal since," Aiden remarked seriously as though his mother should be proud of such a thing.

The other three stared at him, completely dumbstruck. Each of them had the same question dancing around in their heads: How do you burn cereal? Don't you just add milk? That's it, right? Were they eating cereal the wrong way their entire lives? Rhodon was the first to speak up. "So… I'm from Canada and New York… I don't know if it's different down here, but where I'm from, you just pour the milk into a bowl full of the cereal and that's it. Exactly what do you do here?"

"We do the same thing. Yeah. I just… Let me explain. So, I couldn't sleep one night, right? And I thought that because warm milk was supposed to be good for you to put you back to sleep, then I should do the same for my cereal. I was hungry, you know? So I poured the milk in the cereal and then put it in the microwave, let it cook for too long, and it burned. The fire alarm went off, and she got mad," Aiden replied with a pout.

Jin closed his eyes for a moment as though what Aiden had said was painful to his ears. Once he opened his eyes again, he promptly placed his hands on Aiden's shoulders and led him out of the kitchen and back to his seat. "Stay over here, okay? I'll get your cereal for you," he assured him.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," Evan agreed with Jin as he shook his head. _He cooked cereal! Why didn't he just warm up the milk first?!_ It made absolutely no sense to him. "I don't blame your mother at all for not allowing you access to cereal."

"I was _eight_ ," Aiden emphasized once again as he grudgingly sat back down in his seat and allowed Jin to put his breakfast together for him. It was unfair that they were all against him doing anything in the kitchen for something he did at such a young age.

Jin prepared cereal for both Aiden and Rhodon and was ready to do so for Evan as well, but he declined. The three of them ate with satisfaction and for another hour the group did nothing but discuss absolutely meaningless things. It was when they were discussing the topic of video games, specifically online games, that Aiden came to the realization that they really didn't have the time to be sitting around.

"Guys… we're having parents over. We need to clean up," he said as he scratched the back of his head and looked down at the Dr. Pepper patterned pajama pants he wore. _Man… I can't believe that I only just now remembered this..._

"Parents? Whose? Yours?" Jin questioned, obviously surprised and a little upset that he hadn't been told this earlier. Parents are sometimes really difficult to please, and this house definitely needed to be cleaned in order to make a good impression. He didn't want to be seen as a slob!

"No, not mine… Andy's parents are coming with him for that initiation thing. The ceremony they have on Saturday for orientation," Aiden replied with a frown as he stood up from his seat. "Sorry, I forgot about it."

"I'm surprised you didn't tell us last night when you had just told us that that guy was coming in the first place. We don't really have that much to clean though, do we? I mean… I've cleaned up all of my trash. Unless you've trashed your room since I was last in there, we shouldn't have a problem," Evan remarked, not at all thrilled that he'll be greeting parents. He got along with adults better than many individuals of his own age, but parents could be a handful at times…

"Yeah, I think the most cleaning we need to do is to pick up the bedding we have in the room, right? I don't really see any messes anywhere else…" Rhodon remarked as he stood up and began looking around just to make sure that what he was saying was valid.

"Well… Yes. And no. I wouldn't go as far as to say that my room is _trashed_ ," Aiden said hesitantly as he stood up as well and headed back to the main bedroom. He needed his phone to make sure that no one was currently on their way! Besides, Damien had been on the phone for an entire hour; he was sure it was dead by now! With a sigh he took a step towards the door, grabbed hold of the doorknob, and turned it in order to push the door into the room and enter. As soon as the door was opened, he was startled as he met face-to-face with Damien, who seemed to be as happy as he had ever seen him. _He looks so much better than he did yesterday!_ "Sorry, I didn't know you were leaving. How was your talk with your brother?" he asked curiously.

Damien was equally as startled to find that someone was entering at the exact same time he was leaving, but nonetheless, he couldn't keep the smile off of his face. To make the situation even better, Aiden asked him how it went! He was shy in answering, of course, but it was something he was still happy to have done for so long, "It was great. Thank you very much. I think your phone might be overheating or something though…" he remarked as he carefully handed the device over to him, "Is it alright if he contacts me more often? I'm not really sure if you contacted him or if he contacted you, but he said that he would like to be able to call more often if that was okay with you. It's just… I don't have any way of contacting him myself," he asked of him hopefully. Damien felt guilty for using his phone for so long and for requesting such a thing, but this was very important to him.

Aiden was relieved to see Damien in such a mood, and as attached as he was to his own phone, he understood his roommate's position enough to agree to it. "Yeah, that's fine. It's no problem at all. If this helps you to feel more at home, then I am more than happy to allow you to use my phone whenever you need it," he assured him as he joined him inside the room to set his mind on what needed to be done. "On another topic, I need some help getting things done. Our last two roommates will be joining us today, and one of them is bringing his parents with him. We need to clean up before they get here, so would you mind helping me with this room? We just need to fold up the blankets and set them back in the closet along with the pillows."

With a spark in his eyes remaining from Aiden's answer, Damien was all too eager to give him a playful salute before setting himself to work. More than anything he had really needed that phone call and the security of knowing that he could speak with his brother whenever he deemed it necessary. He was grateful to Aiden, and he was coming to realize that maybe these roommates can be trustworthy. Maybe he can learn to like this place and the people who reside in it. Dominic had a great deal to say on the matter, and if anything, he could trust him. If his brother felt these people were worth befriending, then maybe he should open up a little and try to do just that.

Aiden grinned in response to his salute as he assisted in picking up the bedding, and he didn't hesitate in keeping up the conversation. "Is your brother going to college as well?"

"No, he's waiting a year for that actually. He hasn't decided what he wants to do, and he's actually allowed to get out and work on his own now, so that was his decision," Damien replied as he continued on with the work. He had to tell himself that talking about such things was a part of becoming friends so that he wouldn't be so worried about why he was questioning him and his brother. He was sure this was absolutely normal!

"Oh. Interesting… I thought about doing the same thing, but I figured that I would just find what I wanted to do during college. Berea is relatively cheap, so I don't feel like I'm wasting money if I decide last minute to get a change of major," Aiden remarked. "My mom is rather supportive of this sort of thing anyways… She says no matter what I choose, she'll be proud. I know I'm supposed to just be thankful of that, but I told her it made it harder for me to make a decision." He laughed a bit as he tossed two messily folded sheets into the closet and began folding a blanket. He was absolutely grateful to his mother for all that she did for him, especially after everything they've gone through in the past. He wanted her to be full of joy. And because she always said that his happiness meant more to her than anything, he always tried his best to be her happy son. Aiden was thankful that his happiness even seemed to infect others; it was a result that meant everything to him as well.

Damien paused from his folding to watch his roommate's untidy folding as he spoke, and he couldn't help but feel amazed by his words. His mother backed him up on everything? She cared for him that much? While he did feel a hint of emptiness inside him at that point of the conversation, he was actually happier for Aiden than anything. He was sure that made a huge impact on his life. He wanted to say something more, but this opportunity was taken away from him when Jin knocked gently on the door and entered.

"I apologize if I interrupted anything. I was just thinking that if Damien was off the phone, he should come eat breakfast," Jin remarked as he gestured for the youngest of them to leave the room. "I can finish up in here, don't worry. Is there a certain cereal you would like? We have Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, and Cap'n Crunch."

Damien carefully set his folded blankets in the closet, grabbed his backpack and pulled it over his shoulders, and then met Jin at the door only to question him, "You mean… I can eat any of those?" he asked, just to clarify. He wasn't allowed to eat such an unhealthy breakfast back home, so naturally he had to ask.

"Uh… Yeah. Let me guess… You've never had them. I can't say I blame you; they are rather high in sugar. Anyways, I would recommend the Cap'n Crunch; it's-"

"No, try the Cinnamon Toast Crunch first! It's my personal favorite," Aiden interrupted Jin excitedly. "If you like cinnamon, you'll definitely like this cereal. It's perfect when you're in need of energy, too," he added in with a thumbs up.

"Okay… I guess I'll eat that one then. I'll try your suggestion tomorrow, I promise," Damien informed Jin.

Jin breathed in a sigh when the decision was made, but he couldn't help but smile in response to Damien. While he wasn't pleased that Aiden was influencing him in this way, he was glad to see that Damien seemed to be a little more open than he did yesterday. Jin led him away from the room and towards the kitchen where he gestured for him to take a seat at the breakfast bar while he poured his cereal for him. Rhodon and Evan were currently searching the house for anything that may need to be cleaned up, so they were no longer in the room.

It wasn't long before the two boys returned to the kitchen, looking for Jin after he had already left to help Aiden with the bedding. "Good morning, Damien. Do you know where Jin went?" Rhodon asked him as he passed through the kitchen, "Aiden's got a mess in his room, and I think we all have to pitch in to get that done."

"Whoa, I thought Aiden was taking care of his room. I'm taking a shower," Evan disagreed as he grabbed a cup from the cupboard and poured himself some water to drink.

"Oh yeah, we all have to do that, too… How are we all supposed to take showers /and/ clean up in time? We don't even know when they're supposed to get here…" Rhodon combed his fingers through his hair with a sigh.

"Jin's helping Aiden clean up in the bedroom. We have a lot of people, so I don't think it'll take too much time to clean up. I already took a shower, so I can help clean," Damien replied before he placed another spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

Evan knit his eyebrows together and narrowed his eyes at the younger roommate's hair, unconvinced by his comment. His hair wasn't wet! Besides he only just left the room! "You showered? When?"

"Last night," Damien answered once he finished chewing his food. He definitely didn't have time to have showered this morning, so he understood why Evan was questioning him on the matter. Last night was just the better option for him because he felt uncomfortable taking a shower while the others awake, and he couldn't sleep anyways…

 _Last night? Before or after we spoke?_ He knew his hair wasn't wet when he confronted him, so it had to have been long before or after that point in time. _Seriously, this kid… How could he just skip out on sleep like that?_ Evan shook his head and without another word turned to head towards the back room to speak with Jin. He didn't know why he felt the urge to speak with this guy whenever there was a problem, but he sort of felt that he'd be in trouble for not consulting him about the whole room and shower thing and also thought he should say something to Damien about his weird sleep schedule thing he had going on. He himself would probably come off a little rude, even though last night didn't go as terribly as he had expected. Then again, it was only the first night and he just spoke with his brother, so maybe he shouldn't bring that up at all… "Jin," Evan said as he entered the room. "Aiden's room is the only other place that needs cleaned in the house, but we all need to take showers as well. Two of us can take our showers while others clean and then we can switch," he suggested, even though the last thing he wanted to do was clean.

Jin had completely forgotten that none of the other roommates had showered, and he was definitely grateful to Evan for bringing this fact to light. "Yeah, that sounds good. Why don't you and Rhodon go ahead and get in the shower? Aiden and I can take care of cleaning for now," he agreed as he nodded for Evan to do so.

"Cool," Evan replied simply. He made his way to the wall next to the closet where his suitcase was, searched through it for an outfit for the day, and then left so he could take his shower. "Rhodon!" he yelled loud enough for him to hear. He waited for him to respond, and after a few seconds, he called once again as he continued to walk towards the living room. "Rhodon!" _Where did he go?_ Evan passed Damien once more as he continued his search for his missing roommate, and he paused at Damien's side to question him, "Did you see where Rhodon went?"

"What? Rhodon? Yeah, he went into Aiden's room. I think he's cleaning already," He replied as he gestured in that direction. "Maybe… He said something about attacking Aiden's room."

 _Attacking_? _He's really cleaning his room for him?_ Evan passed through the kitchen and the dining room to make his way towards Aiden's room, and he hesitantly opened the door to see what Rhodon was up to. To his surprise, Rhodon was busying himself with beatboxing and cleaning at the same time. He was throwing away all of the trash that had been left in Aiden's room, which consisted of a large amount of Dr. Pepper cans. _How much Dr. Pepper does Aiden drink in a day?_ "Uh… hey, Rhodon. I just spoke with Jin, and we've decided that you and I are going to take showers first and then he and Aiden will follow after. They'll continue the cleaning while we clean up."

After realizing Evan had entered the room, Rhodon paused his beatboxing to acknowledge his presence and then placed the trash bag by the door while he exited the room. "Hopefully it won't take that long to clean up this room. It's really not that messy; there are just a few things out of place that make it look that way. The trash certainly doesn't help…" he remarked as he went across the hall to the master bedroom Jin and Aiden were still in to grab his clothes and take his shower in the master bathroom.

Evan turned to his left and entered the restroom that was just next door in order to finally take his shower, all too happy to be leaving the cleaning to the person who created the mess in the first place.

However, within a few minutes, the doorbell rang, which signaled the arrival of a guest that the group was not yet ready for. "Oh no! I don't know who that is! What if it's Andy and his parents? We're not ready for them yet!" Aiden panicked slightly over the matter. He didn't want to meet these new people without having a clean appearance… After all, both he and Jin were still in their pajamas!

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure they'll understand. We had a long day yesterday. I don't think panicking at this time is a good idea," Jin replied, hoping to calm him down at least a little. One should only panic when the situation at hand called for it, though he felt panicking should just be avoided entirely. _It never helps anything_ …

"Yeah, maybe… I really have no choice but to answer the door anyways, and I'm sure whoever it is would rather see me in pajamas than be left waiting," Aiden agreed only partially. He was so underdressed for this, and he was not very pleased about it at all. With a pout, he exited the room and approached the front door with as much confidence as he could muster. When he pulled open the door, he was actually more than pleased to meet face-to-face with Hiroshi Nakamura instead of Andy and his parents! _What a relief! I mean… I'd rather not be seen in my pajamas at all, but at least it's not the parents!_ "Ah, Hiroshi! Sorry I'm not exactly dressed… We're sort of running behind this morning. Come on in," he said as he stepped aside for Hiroshi to enter the home. He closed the door behind him and then gestured towards the kitchen. "Over there is Damien Kooke, he's one- Wait, where'd he go?" he was confused to find an empty bowl sitting on the breakfast bar but no longer anyone in the seat in front of it. He was sure was just there! "O...kay? I could have sworn he was there… Anyway, we're getting furniture in on Sunday, so for now, we're all staying in the master bedroom. If you want to just set your things over here by the door, we can take care of it all later," he suggested. He watched as Hiroshi picked up his suitcase and carried it to the side of the wall that Aiden had indicated, when there were obviously two wheels that he could pull it along on. "Say… Hiroshi, why didn't you just roll your suitcase?" _It would certainly be much easier than carrying…_

Hiroshi let out a sigh of exasperation as he set his luggage down and turned to face Aiden while his fingers dug through his hair with ease. "Actually, I broke the handle as I was leaving the airport. It's inside the suitcase, so I may try putting it back together," he replied. His deep voice and amazingly articulated words came as a surprise to Aiden, even though he had encountered Hiroshi a few times in the past. He wasn't sure he'd ever adjust to it. "Sorry I'm so early. Trust me, the last thing I wanted was a flight overnight. The layovers were awful," he remarked as he glanced around the place, "Wow… nice place," he said in awe.

"Aiden, I think there's enough hot water for you if Rhodon doesn't…" Evan trailed off when he realized there was someone he had yet to meet right beside him. He had left the bathroom in nothing but his blue-gray boxers in an attempt to save time for the others who were waiting in line. He shook his hair out and turned away towards the bedroom so he could hurry up and change for the sake of the newcomer and himself. Man, the last thing he expected was to have such an awkward first impression with one of his other roommates, but whatever… They were going to be living together for a while, so he might as well just brush it off. A little warning would have been nice though. Once in the master bedroom, Evan had the pleasure of meeting with Jin, who raised an eyebrow in his direction, more than likely confused as to why he was seeing him half-naked. "Don't ask," he insisted as he threw his clothes to the ground and began slipping on his blue jeans. He didn't want to admit that he was trying to do the others a favor, so he just left it at that.

Jin allowed a small laugh to escape his lips at Evan's comment, "Did you happen to see our most recent guest or guests? I hope it's not the parents that were blinded by your pale skin," he joked as he turned around to give Evan a bit of privacy. Evan's skin definitely varied in color due to his environment in California. He held the classic markings of a farmer's tan where the sleeves of his shirt would cut off; his arms were slightly darker than the rest of his upper torso.

"Ha ha," Evan responded sarcastically as his glare practically shot into Jin's skull, "I guess I should consider myself lucky. It's just that Japanese guy, not the parents," he replied as he zipped up and buttoned his jeans and then grabbed the towel from around his neck to ruffle up his hair and dry it. He didn't usually wear his glasses while he dried his hair, but he wasn't about to leave them in the bathroom when others needed to get in. Once he finished, he set the towel down on the floor beside him and then slipped his plain, black t-shirt over his head, He picked up the towel he had set on the floor and then waited for Jin to slip past him and then followed him into the living room where Aiden was still speaking with the new guy.

Hiroshi was very understanding of the fact that all of his new roommates were still getting ready, but so far, his first impression of Evan was that he was a very open guy. Obviously, he would soon find this to be as untrue as it can be, but for now, that's what he had to go off of. "Say, Aiden, how many roommates are we going to have total?" he asked curiously as he watched Evan and Jin enter the room from where he sat on the couch adjacent to Aiden.

"We have seven of us officially living here, including me. So the plan is for three of us to be in one room and then two people to be in each of the other rooms," Aiden replied as he grinned in Evan's direction. He couldn't deny that he was amused by what had just happened, but he didn't dare say a word about it.

As Jin entered the room, his eyes caught sight of Hiroshi, and he stopped in his tracks as he slowly began to recognize his face. "Rap Monster?" he questioned as he approached the two, "Wow, I hardly recognized you. Your hair is black again, I see." he grinned as he sat beside Aiden so he could speak with Hiroshi. "When Aiden mentioned you were going to be our roommate, I didn't really place your face with your name because everyone around here knows you as Rapmon," he laughed a little.

Evan watched the two interact with his head cocked to the side in confusion. _Rap Monster? That's this guy?_ He didn't have many interactions with him on campus other than passing him to go to classes, but he had heard the name before. This guy had a reputation, and he had been hoping to meet him and figure out the reasoning behind his name. He pushed the bridge of his glasses up with his middle and pointer fingers pressed together. _Shouldn't they be cleaning right now?_

"Jin! Aiden! Whoever's next can get in the… Rapmon?" Rhodon was surprised to find his friend sitting on the couch with his other roommates. His wet hair dripped onto the white towel that hung around his neck as he adjusted the collar of his evergreen colored polo. His black skinny jeans were bunched up at the bottom, indicating that the pants were a little too long for his legs. He didn't seem to mind it at all though. "Man, it's been forever! It's great to see you! I like the hair!" he exclaimed as he even pointed to his own hair to emphasize the comment. He approached his friend excitedly and even tousled his hair in a friendly manner to mess around with him. He was much more interactive with him than he was with any of the others so far, mainly because he and Hiroshi had bonded a little over the past semester.

"It's only been a summer, Rhodon," Hiroshi, or Rapmon, remarked as he tried to dodge his friend's hand, "Don't mess with my hair, you know I use gel in it," he reminded him with a playful glare. "Do you live here, too?" he asked hopefully. He didn't know if he was just over for the company or if he was one of the seven, though he did assume the latter.

"Yeah, I was the last roommate to be chosen! Isn't it great?!" Rhodon replied enthusiastically. He was a little shy around the others thus far, and, therefore, more tame, but this was showing that Aiden wasn't the only loud one of the bunch.

 _Why does everyone seem to know this guy? And how come Rhodon is starting to sound more and more like Aiden?_ Evan's eyes narrowed at the group on the couch as he continued to watch them from afar, but as he turned to face the kitchen, his eyes met with none other than Damien's, who was sitting in the kitchen next to the fridge so no one could see him. Well, at least that seemed to be the purpose. "Did this guy scare you away from the group? I guess he's kind of sketchy to me, too. Anyone named Rap Monster can be a little intimidating, huh?" he stated as he approached him to grab a glass of water for himself, "Only kidding. Don't let this guy fool you. He's weird, not intimidating."

Damien was not extremely pleased that Evan was invading his space here in the kitchen, but he said nothing of the matter to him. Instead, he offered him a strange look that might as well have stated 'You're the weird one'. Of course, he wouldn't dare say it out loud. "I thought his name was Hiroshi, but everyone seems to know him by Rap Monster or Rapmon. Are those real names here in the US?"

Evan scoffed as a smile of sorts played onto his lips and his eyes returned to the group in the living room, "Nah, it's his nickname. That's what everyone on campus calls him, and I think it started after the Berea's Got Talent show that went on last year. I didn't go to it, but apparently he's a really good rapper," he replied. He couldn't lie to himself; he really wanted to hear what he had to offer in the topic. The problem was that he didn't know how to approach him. "Anyways… let's both go over there and introduce ourselves. We have to do it sooner or later," he suggested with a sigh, simply to motivate him. Evan couldn't exactly make a bigger fool of himself after he had already exposed almost his entire body to the guy, so he wasn't nervous about a first impression anymore. That was over and done with for him.

Disappointment was clear in Damien's expression as he forced himself up off the tile floor and followed Evan to the living room. There were so many people he had met in the past 24 hours, and it was difficult for him to socialize with so many of them at once. Everything thus far was a first for him, so he had to slowly adjust to it all. _Deep breaths is all it takes… Deep breaths_. He stood beside Evan nervously as he clenched and unclenched his hands upon facing Rapmon. His eyes studied this newcomer, from his black slacks and white button-up with his sunglasses hanging around the collar to his jet black hair that was cleanly slicked back. Damien felt extremely inferior in that moment, and he wanted nothing more than to return to his spot in the kitchen. He was introducing himself in a baggy white t-shirt and hand-me-down athletic shorts! How was he supposed to make a good impression?

Evan was uncertain as to whether he should address him as Hiroshi or Rapmon, considering he had never spoken to him before, so he felt extremely awkward… It must have been obvious on his face because Rhodon piped up before anything could be said, "Ah, Rapmon, this is Evan Sugar. He's a rapper too, and he's reeeaaally good from what I've heard. You guys should talk it out or something. And standing beside him is Damien Kooke. He's a little shy, but he seems to be pretty cool. He's from England, which you probably would have figured out if he had spoken up sooner." he introduced them all excitedly. Rhodon couldn't be more pleased with his fellow roommates, and he was getting even more excited to meet the very last one. _This year is going to be amazing!_

Rapmon gave his attention to Evan and Damien as they were being introduced, and he offered a genuine smile in return as he shook hands with Evan. He attempted to shake hands with Damien as well, but Damien just offered him a deer-in-the-headlights kind of stare. _Ooookay then…_ "It's nice to meet you both. I'm Hiroshi, but you guys can call me Rapmon, too. I'm still kind of getting use to it myself." He laughed a little awkwardly. He wasn't great with introductions, and he was quite aware of that… "Do you really rap? I would actually really like to hear it. I'm not exactly sure why I was given the nickname, but I'm not the greatest. I'm sure you're a lot better than I am at least…" he remarked. He believed in being humble about one's traits, even though he did believe in his own skill.

 _Whoa. What's with his voice? He doesn't sound Japanese at all!_ _Not to be racist or anything, but he sounds like a black man from Los Angeles or something!_ His voice was completely throwing him off, and it took him a few seconds to fit the voice to Rapmon's mouth before he could listen to what he was saying. After only paying attention to the last couple sentences he had to say, Evan was genuinely surprised by Rapmon's comments, and he was honestly unsure of how to respond. The nickname he held inferred that he was full of himself and his skills, but he didn't act that way at all. _Then again, he could just be pulling my leg…_ "All right… but I want to hear you rap first. It'll have to wait until later though, seeing as how we still have to clean up before our last roommate and his parents arrive."

Jin's eyes grew a little wide at the mention of this, and he was quick to stand to his feet in order to finally get his shower in. _I almost completely forgot there were more guests coming! How could I forget something so important_? "You're right, I'll have to clean myself up now. Can you guys get started on the room?" he asked of Rhodon and Evan since they were already prepared for the guests. He had meant to start on it himself, but Rapmon kind of distracted everyone…

"Yeah, sure thing." Rhodon gave him the thumbs up and watched as Aiden and Jin left the room to clean up. "Rapmon, I hate to tell you, but it looks like you're stuck with the cleaning crew. Aiden's sort of got a big mess going on in his room, and some guy named ChimChim is coming over with his parents, who will sort of be inspecting the place. Come on." He nudged Rapmon's shoulder and gestured for him to follow him and Evan to the correct room.

Rapmon nodded in response and stood up to do just that, but he paused when he noticed Damien hadn't moved from his spot just yet. Damien looked uncomfortable and uncertain in Rapmon's eyes, so he wanted to try and speak with him to ease the tension, "Uh, Damien? Are you…" he began, but realized he had lost the words he was going to use. He pointed in either direction, towards Aiden's room, or towards the room Jin entered, "Uh… you know, cleaning or getting ready?" he asked at last. _That was… beyond awkward. Wow._ He could just give himself an awkward award for that. _Congratulations Rapmon_.

Damien stared at him once again, trying to figure out what all of his gestures meant at first. However, when he finally finished the question, he found himself pleased that he had asked such a thing, in that way specifically. He was so awkward that it made him comfortable in a situation for once! But instead of responding, he merely grinned and continued on into the room Jin had entered.

Rapmon watched Damien walk away, confused as to what had just happened. _Why didn't he say anything? And what was with that smile on his face?_ He stuffed his hands in his pockets as a frown fell upon his face, hoping that Damien didn't take him for some awkward stranger. He knew he goofed up when he was trying to ask him, but it was only because he was naturally awkward with first meetings!

Rhodon and Evan stood by watching the two interact, and both were equally shocked by Damien's lack of communication towards Rapmon. Actually… it was more of the expression he gave him while walking away. He looked like he was going to speak, but he just didn't. "What… just happened? Did you see that?" Rhodon gestured in the direction Damien had gone.

Evan raised his eyebrows with interest as he, too, watched Damien leave down the hall. He actually couldn't help but let out a small, yet quiet laugh in response because he looked completely comfortable just ditching Rapmon with that smirk on his face. He was thoroughly amused.

"Is that, you know… normal?" Rapmon asked the two of them as he walked with them into Aiden's room. "I mean, you said he was shy, but… when I spoke, he didn't look nervous or anything. I mean, you saw that smile," he remarked as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, and it was the biggest smile I've seen from that kid. In my opinion, he did answer your question. I think that's why he was grinning. He could just answer by doing it," Evan remarked, still enthused by what he had seen. _Damien may have a secret troll inside of him!_ As long as he didn't use it against him, he was fine with it. He didn't mind a little entertainment now and then.

"That's awfully sneaky of him…" Rhodon commented as he closed the room's door so they could have more space inside the room. There were still a few more Dr. Pepper cans he had to collect from around the bed, but the trash was already almost cleaned up. All there was left to do was to tidy up the video game cords and controllers and throw a few dirty clothes into the hamper by the door. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Rapmon. Maybe you can ask him what it was all about when you actually get to know him. Anyway, what's with the get-up today? I don't think I've ever seen you look this nice." He laughed a little as he nudged his side. Rapmon was quite a few inches taller than him, so it was just less effort to elbow him than to poke him in the shoulder or something.

Rapmon had to agree with their statements, and considering he had only just met Damien, he really shouldn't keep his mind on it. As he began to fold the cords messily, he turned his attention to Rhodon's question, "My outfit? Oh, I only just recently arrived from Japan, and my parents are rather strict about just about everything, so… here I am. I may actually change into a more comfortable shirt, but I'm already wearing this one, so I'm still debating…" he replied.

Rhodon offered a slow nod to show his understanding, and then continued with placing the XBox controllers in the video game cabinet Aiden had. _It wouldn't be surprising if that was also the reason as to why his hair was back to normal…_ "Hm… I think you might as well stay in that shirt, even if it's a little uncomfortable. None of us have really met him or his parents, so looking nice is always the best way to go," he said as a matter of fact. Friendship 101: always look nice and act sane while meeting the parents for the first time. They may not be friends yet, but he was sure roommates worked the same way.

Evan shrugged his shoulders in response to Rhodon. "Or you can just wear casual clothes and be comfortable. I don't see why we have to pretend that this is how we normally dress," he remarked, believing firmly that others should take you as yourself instead of how they'd like to portray you. Yes, first impressions were everything in some situations, but in his opinion, many people are mistaken as to who others are by their first meeting. If you want to know someone, talk to them.

After minutes of staying in the room by themselves and cleaning, Aiden soon joined the boys, wearing dark blue jeans and a maroon colored short-sleeved, button-up shirt, to help finish it all up. He was thankful to them for helping out when it wasn't even their room, so he obviously owed each of them for something in the future. _Maybe I could buy them all an ice cream or something…_ "Andy messaged me and said they would be here soon. Their plane arrived about 30 minutes ago, so it shouldn't be long." he informed them after he made his bed and left the room with the others in tow.

"How long are the parents expected to be here for?" Rhodon asked curiously. He didn't mind adults, but sometimes he found it difficult to be himself in front of them. Everything was about pleasing the parents and making sure you don't cross the line, and he didn't particularly like having to be completely aware and conscious of his every word and action.

"I'm really not sure. I'm guessing they'll take a look around the house to see where he'll be living, and then maybe they'll have a look around town or something… When people are new in town, they tend to want to explore everything, you know? Then again, they have all day today and tomorrow to have a look around because of the college initiation thing tomorrow," Aiden replied as he plopped down on the couch that faced the Television.

"College initiation thing..?" Rhodon questioned. He thought he knew what he was talking about, but at the same time, he wasn't sure… Was the college holding it, or was this some new ritual he had going on with his friends?

"I think he's talking about the Ceremony of Dedication they have going on for the incoming freshman. You know, they meet with their advisors on the Quad and then go to Phelps Stokes for the actual ceremony," Rapmon clarified as he sat on the couch adjacent to the one Aiden sat on.

Evan wrinkled his nose in disgust when he realized what they were talking about, "We don't have to go to that, do we? I mean, for our freshman roommates… You wouldn't be offended if we didn't go, right? We sort of went through that last year."

Aiden pouted in Evan's direction. "Of course I'd be offended… If you don't go, it'll put a real damper on our relationship…" he replied in a serious manner. Of course, he wouldn't /actually/ hold a grudge against him for such a thing, but he did hope he'd go. He would understand if he didn't, though.

Evan rolled his eyes and sighed as he sat on the same couch as Aiden, but on the other side of it where the other arm rest was. _Man, I would completely ruin the relationship we don't have. What a shame…_ "... Alright. I'll go, but only because someone's got to make sure you don't lead Damien astray," he said, just using that as an excuse for why he planned on going. Why did he even consider it? He didn't know these people, and this ceremony was one of the most boring sessions he had to sit through last year. The thing is… he did feel as though he should go for Damien's sake. He didn't have anyone there to support him or encourage him or to celebrate with him after walking under that arch. There was a point after the ceremony when the parents separate from their kids, and the college bound students walk through a sort of tunnel of people to celebrate the parting. It can be an emotional time for some, and for others it was the entrance to freedom. Even though he wasn't close to Damien, he felt that he and the others should be there for him as his acting parents. He knew how his own siblings would feel in the same situation, so perhaps that's why he felt so inclined to take part.

"Well if you're going, I guess we might as well go, too. Three of our roommates are freshman, after all, so why not," Rhodon agreed with a smile as he sat beside Rapmon. It seemed he had already decided for his friend as well, and he didn't even have a chance to say anything on the matter before now!

"Wait a minute, are we talking about going to the whole thing? Like, the Quad set up /and/ the ceremony?" Rapmon asked just to clarify. _What would we do the whole time? Watch the freshman interactions? Actually, that could prove to be interesting…_

"Yeah," Aiden nodded in response to Rapmon. He was nervous about going to this freshman orientation, but that wasn't the only reason he wanted them all there. He thought it would help them all bond! If all of the upperclassman roommates went together, they would have more time together as well!

Rapmon exchanged glances with Evan when Aiden affirmed that they had to be there for the entire thing, and he allowed a sigh to escape his lips when he gave in to Aiden's request without a fight. He was getting to know these people anyways, so he might as well. It was probably the right thing to do anyway.

At that moment, Jin walked in, having already combed his hair and prepared for the meeting of the parents, and he approached the group with curiosity, "Is the room already clean? I guess there are a lot of you, so I shouldn't be surprised…" he remarked as he eyed each of them with satisfaction. They all looked so nice! That's at least what he thought before he saw Evan… _Why is he just wearing a t-shirt? Oh well, he doesn't look that bad._ He himself wore a white polo similar to the one Rhodon wore as well as a pair of blue jeans, "Are they on their way?"

"Yeah, they'll be here within 10 minutes or so I think," Aiden replied as he saw Damien appear from the hallway wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a loose white t-shirt. He was the only one not dressed up the slightest to meet the newest roommate and his parents, which made him sort of stick out in the group. _What's he doing? He's aware they were all supposed to look nicer for this, right?_

Damien was definitely uncomfortable being the black sheep in the white herd so to speak, but he couldn't help it… He didn't have anything nice to wear. All of the belongings he owned were in the bag on his back, and he couldn't wear the jeans he had worn yesterday, so it was difficult. A frown was worn upon his lips as he felt their eyes train on him, and he was ready to head for the kitchen until his name was suddenly called out. He froze where he stood and avoided eye contact with anyone as he was approached by Aiden, hoping he wouldn't be questioned about his clothes even though it was inevitable. Damien felt inadequate and embarrassed; the last thing he needed was any scolding of sorts…

"Hey, do you have any nicer clothes? I'm sorry to ask, but I just want to make a good impression with Andy's folks, and I'm a little nervous about it… I've always been told that it's better to look nice when meeting new people, especially parents, you know?" Aiden remarked with an uncertain smile as he stuffed his hands into his jeans' pockets and waited for a response as he stood in front of Damien. He wasn't trying to be mean or intimidating; he was just anxious about the whole thing!

Damien pursed his lips when Aiden confronted him, as he had expected. His words only made him feel worse about the situation, and he had no idea how to respond. He knew Aiden was nervous! He knew it was professional to dress appropriately for such occasions! He held respect for him and everyone around him, but he didn't have the means to do as he requested. Damien wished he could become invisible in that moment. A great sense of inferiority had come over him, and he didn't want to admit that he had nothing adequate enough for this meeting… "I… I decided I'd just take a walk. I want to explore the town; I can meet him later…" he replied at last. It wasn't the truth, but he was too ashamed to say something about it.

"A walk? At this time? I mean… I can show you around town later, but this is important. We should be here to welcome him and his parents," Aiden insisted with concern. _Why doesn't he want to meet them when they arrive? Is he uncomfortable with all of the new people he's meeting? Is he upset about something? What is it?_

Evan listened in to the conversation and watched as Damien tried to avoid speaking or holding eye contact. He had gotten a lot better since his phone conversation with his brother, so why was he acting this way now? His eyes narrowed at him in suspicion as he began to wonder if this walk he was intending on taking was because of the space he needed. He understood all too well that social interactions were exhausting, but at a time like this? It was poorly planned…

Jin's eyes wavered upon the youngest as well, and something about the way he carried himself told him that this situation was more than it seemed. Of course, Damien was always nervous around others, but he should be adjusted to Aiden enough to be able to hold a conversation without clenching his hands around his backpack straps. His expression itself spoke volumes about how uncomfortable he was in the situation. He was lying, and Jin was rather certain as to why that was. "Aiden, Damien, come with me," he insisted seriously as he walked over to Aiden's room and held the door only long enough for them to enter. He locked the door once it was closed and then allowed a soft gaze to fall upon Damien, "You know, you don't have to be ashamed not to have nice clothes… In fact, most people here at Berea can't afford them either. You know where I got mine? From the thrift store down by Walmart. I'll take you sometime. Until then… Aiden, do you mind if he borrows something to wear?"

Aiden felt anxious when Jin called both of them out to be placed in another room for a talk. He thought he was going to get onto them for making a scene in the living room… _We were only talking!_ However, when Jin finally spoke up, he was surprised and upset with himself for not realizing Damien's reasoning for wanting to be absent. He knew he wasn't that insensitive! With a bright smile, he nodded and rushed to his closet to find a suitable outfit for him, completely open to sharing his clothes for a good cause. "That's no problem! Come over here so I can pick a good color for you." he asked of Damien as he gestured for him to join him by the closet.

With similar worries to Aiden's, Damien was very hesitant in following Jin into the room. As soon as Jin began speaking, he could feel his heart sink when he knew he was aware of his problem, but at the same time, he didn't feel as discouraged as before. He was appreciative that Jin didn't mention this in front of everyone, and his comment was slightly reassuring for him. He didn't exactly have money just yet, though… As he placed himself at Aiden's side, he couldn't help but wonder how Jin knew. He seemed to know many things about others just by studying them, and he hoped that one day, he could gain that skill as well. In his opinion, people were very difficult to read and understand…

Meanwhile in the living room, Rapmon, Evan, and Rhodon were all quite puzzled as to what was going on in the room after Jin took Damien and Aiden away. "Why does he suddenly want to go on a walk? I thought he was feeling better after speaking with his brother…" Rhodon remarked as he turned to glance at the door and then looked back at Evan. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Me? No. Why would he say something to me? He's closer to Aiden. Besides, that kid doesn't just walk, he runs. There's something going on in his head right now…" Evan replied as he crossed his arms and breathed a deep sigh. He lay his head back on the upper portion of the couch and closed his eyes to perhaps take a nap before the rest of the day robbed him of sleep.

 _What's Evan going on about?_ "Just because he said he was going on a walk instead of a run, you think he's lying?" Rhodon was confused about the matter at hand, but he hoped that whatever was going on would be resolved. He wanted to meet the final roommate and to enjoy time together as roommates, with everyone present.

"No, I think what he means is that he doesn't think that a walk was Damien's first intention at all. He seemed to have made it up on the spot," Rapmon clarified for Rhodon. He didn't know anything about Damien, but he understood what Evan was trying to say. "He's running away from whatever problem he's having."

Evan snapped and pointed a finger gun in Rapmon's direction as a way of saying he was on point in the translation. He didn't think he needed a translation, but at least he didn't have to say any more than he already had. Rapmon understood, so he was able to convey it to Rhodon in a simpler way.

"Oh, I see… I just hope Jin's not being harsh on him. I mean, he called them to the room and everything," Rhodon remarked with concern as he looked back at the door once more. When he was sent to his room, it was always because he was in serious trouble, but Jin went in there with both Aiden and Damien… _Hopefully they'll make it out okay!_

It took several more minutes for the three of them to finally exit the room, and it looked as though Jin had won whatever it was that had happened. He looked very pleased, and even Aiden seemed to be rather happy about something. As for Damien, he was finally dressed in nice attire, sporting a light blue polo and black jeans. Of course, Rhodon was about to ask what had happened, but the doorbell rang, and all of their attention turned towards the door.

"Oh, good! He's finally here!" Aiden exclaimed as he rushed over to the door to allow his guests in. He was so excited to meet him! He's known him online for nearly 2 years now, but he's actually meeting him in person?! _What does he look like? What does he wear?_ He already knew his personality, so that wasn't a question he needed answered. Hopefully now all of the other roommates' fears of Andy being some criminal would disappear after they saw him enter through the doorway. He just had a good feeling about this!

"Alright guys, we need to get up and greet them!" Rhodon insisted as he stood from the couch and nudged Rapmon as he did so. "Evan? Evan~" he called as he gently shook his shoulder to wake him up. He had fallen asleep much quicker than he thought was even possible, and he felt bad for having to wake him… It couldn't be helped though.

"Shake me again, and I will kill you," Evan muttered as his eyes remained closed in hopes to stay in sleep mode. He didn't appreciate his naps being interrupted because there was obviously a reason he was taking them. He was tired, and he loved his sleep. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and offered Rhodon a lazy glare of sorts as he stood from his seat and fixed his hair. A yawn surfaced as soon as he began to stretch, and he slowly made his way to the door with all of the others trailing behind him. It seemed that everyone was ready to know who this new roommate was, and even though Evan was grumpy about being woken up, he was grateful that he wouldn't be waking up in the middle of a conversation with the parents.

As soon as he opened the door, Aiden was amazed by the sight of the individuals before him. The father was tall and thin with thick brown hair mostly covered by a black cowboy hat and stubble on his chin, and his wardrobe consisted of a long-sleeved red and white plaid button-up shirt and blue denim jeans. The mother wore a dark green, white-polka dotted A-line dress with a white ribbon across her midsection, and her light brown, wavy hair fell just below her shoulders. As for the incoming college student and roommate, he wore a short-sleeved, brown button-up shirt and denim jeans similar to his father, and a red bandana was tied around his neck. His red-brown hair reached his shoulders, though his bangs were wavy and formed neatly around the figure of his face. Both he and his father wore brown cowboy boots while the mother wore white heels. They did seem pleasant, but the sight of them was just an honest surprise for Aiden… They look so sophisticated and southern! "Um… Welcome. Come on in!" he insisted as he held open the door for them. He was already extremely nervous!


	6. Chapter 5: Fuller House

Chapter 5: Fuller House

To say Aiden was extremely nervous was an understatement. The impression Andy's parents were to get of them was the most important thing in his mind. Not only that, but Aiden was worried about the impression that Andy was going to get of him now that they've met in person. Talking online is one thing, but meeting face to face and seeing exactly what the person they had been conversing with was actually stressful. What was he expecting about me? Is he disappointed?

Aiden's thoughts were shattered when Andy and his parents were inside and the door was shut behind them. So far, so good. They don't look disgusted. He looked at Andy and gave him a smile, and felt a little relieved when he smiled back. "It's...Well, it's nice to finally meet you," he said, putting his hand out for Andy to shake.

"You too," Andy replied. He took hold of Aiden's extended hand and gave it a firm shake, and then let go. "Small world, huh? Online video game friends become college roommates!" He grinned, and took a look around, especially at the others that had been crowding over at the door to greet them.

Aiden had to admit, Andy's smile really helped break him out of the nervousness he had been feeling. Only slightly. "Definitely!" His next line of business: addressing the parents. "I'm glad you all made it alright. I'm very excited to have Andy as my roommate."

Andy's mother smiled in response to Aiden's words. "We're very happy that Andy is going to be with someone that he knows." She also noticed the others, and observed them. She was pleased to find that none of them seemed to look like they could cause a lot of trouble.

Aiden glanced over at the others, half expecting them to take over their own introductions. When they didn't speak up right away, he felt the need to jump in, but he was stopped by Andy's father, who had spoken up before him.

"Don't be shy," he stated, giving them a grin. "We don't bite. Names will suffice."

Evan looked at Jin when Andy had first started to talk, a little taken aback by the fact that he didn't sound like a southerner. Of course, he wasn't very fond of stereotyping people, but he was expecting even a little bit of an accent. He then noticed that not only was Andy looking over at them, most probably expecting some sort of introduction from them, the parents were as well. His father was even asking them for their names. Seeing as no one else was making a move, he sighed quietly and took the lead. "I'm Evan," he stated, and waved weakly.

Jin spoke next, a bit surprised that Evan had spoken first of the roommates. "I am Jin Kasey," he said, offering a smile with his words. Andy seemed a bit more excited by the moment.

"Rhodon Hope!" Rhodon stated excitedly. His mood had been coasting on the fact that one of his good friends was going to be living with them, and he wasn't going to let it die as they got in touch with their new roommate.

"I'm Hiroshi Nakamura." Rapmon waved as well, though his enthusiasm wasn't exactly glowing. He was beginning to feel the effects of his long flight, and he couldn't help but think about what he was going to eat and when he would go to sleep while he was meeting the last roommate. It's not that he didn't care… it's more like he was too worn out to have the proper attention span for something as important as this.

Damien, who hadn't really been paying all that much attention while the whole thing was going on, suddenly realized that he was going to have to speak. There was a silence that followed Rapmon's introduction, long enough to allow him to become even more nervous than he already was in the situation. The whole point of not paying attention in the first place was to keep his nerves in check. There were so many people! He looked up when Jin nudged his arm, indicating the silence was going on much too long. "S-sorry…I um...I'm Damien Kooke."

Andy's smile never once faltered during all of the introductions. Aiden had given him as much background as he knew about their roommates, so he was excited to finally have faces, and voices, to match the personalities of the people he was going to be living with. And they all mostly seemed eager to welcome him into the home, as well! However, now that they had all given their names, it was his turn for introductions! "It's nice to meet all of you. I'm Andy Cimabue (Chim-uh-boo-ay), and these are my parents, Simone Cimabue and Angie Cimabue." He informed them as he gestured towards each.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person." Aiden smiled as he shook their hands. He was the one in charge of the house and had done a great deal of the work to getting his roommates all together, so it was only right for him to be the one to shake hands with them. "Do you all want to take a seat on the couch? I can get you drinks if you're thirsty," he suggested, trying his best to make his guests feel at home.

"Thank you for offering," Angie stated. "But our flight was long and we haven't eaten yet today. We were thinking of going to one of the local restaurants to get lunch. We'd like for you all to come along, and we have no problem with paying for everyone."

Jin stared at the mother for a moment, surprised to be offered food in the first place, and he was quick to show his uncertainty on the matter just to keep things humble. "Uh… I don't know, maybe-"

"Sure, we don't mind. We've been excited to meet you all for a while now, so it would be nice to talk over a meal," Evan jumped in with a smile of his own. Of course he wasn't too thrilled about the social aspect of it all, and he was only trying to be nice. It wouldn't be kind, or easy for that matter, to give up the offer of free food. Besides, what kind of college kid rejects food? He looked back at Jin, and gave him a little smile of encouragement as if to say "it could be worse". All of the local restaurants he could think of were relatively inexpensive, other than Boone Tavern, and they would be able to suggest a place since the Cimabue family had no familiarity with the area. "There's a nice Italian-type restaurant on the strip by Boone Tavern. It's called PapaLeno's."

"We did see that on our way over here," Simone commented, looking at his wife. "I think that sounds like a great place to go. We can get a few pizzas, depending on the sizes."

"Great idea," Angie said with a smile and looked at Andy. "Does that sound okay with you, Andy? Did you see anything that you were interested in?" She didn't want to make a final decision without his input, seeing as it was going to be something he should enjoy his first day in a new place.

"Nope. Pizza sounds okay to me. I can always try other places later on," Andy stated, and looked to his roommates. "They probably know what's best around here, anyway." He was glad that a suggestion had been made, seeing as he knew his parents well enough to know they would have debated a while before a choice was made.

Aiden smiled and relaxed much more than he had been before. Everything was going well, and they were even going out to lunch with them now! "Do you need help bringing your things in?" he asked Andy enthusiastically. "We have plenty of manpower to get it done quicker!"

We have to move more things? Evan looked up at the ceiling and repressed a groan. If everything was going to work out between all of them, and somewhere within him he hoped it would, the moving in would be the one thing he would regret the most. He could have made an entire rant in his head about the century they live in, and why don't we have hovercrafts yet?, but it seemed some of the others were moving in response to something he didn't hear. He would save the rant for later.

Andy had agreed to have their help in moving his things inside, grateful to have so many "helpers" to assist him with his load. He didn't know if he could consider all of them "friends" just yet, but he knew that would come in time. His housemates seemed friendly enough. "I don't have a whole lot…Honestly, I only need one person to help me grab my other suitcase."

"Just one?" Aiden repeated as he went ahead and followed his newest resident out of the home to retrieve his things from the rental car. Oh, right… I forgot they were on an airplane. Why do I always forget that people don't really live around here? Aiden frowned at himself as he watched Andy unload his luggage from the car. "Hey, Andy… I noticed you don't really have an accent. Are you originally from Texas?" He asked curiously as he reached over and grabbed the handle of one of the suitcases as well as one of his duffel bags.

"Originally? Yeah, but I've not lived there all my life. My father's in the military, so we've sort of been a traveling family. I've lived so many places that I've lost count. Only two years ago or so did we actually start living in Texas again to take over the family farm my grandfather has owned for years." Andy replied as he pulled out one more bag from the trunk, threw it over his shoulder, and then pulled a smaller suitcase behind him, "He may not look it now, but trust me, he's a military man." He laughed a little as he led the way back inside and held the door open for Aiden so he wouldn't have any trouble entering the home.

Aiden had forgotten that Andy had previously told him that his father was in the military, and he felt guilty for forgetting… Hopefully Andy didn't think he had forgotten because it wasn't important! "Come on, I'll show you to the room you'll keep your things in for now." He offered to Andy as he already walked the hallway to the master bedroom the entire group was staying in.

"Do you mind if we take him to lunch and meet the both of you there? I've found that in my experience, it is always very busy around this time so if you could reserve some seats upon arrival… I wouldn't mind going with you so you don't get lost." Jin suggested. He was originally only going to ask if Andy could come with them, but then he realized that may be rude… So he offered himself up instead because he knew the others were very curious about their new housemate, just as he was.

Mrs. Cimabue watched as Andy and Aiden made their way down the hall until Jin posed his question, and a smile soon found its way to her lips in response, "I'm sure Andy would like that. There's no need to come with us, though. I think we spotted the restaurant earlier, so we can find it ourselves. I'm sure there won't be a problem finding seats." She remarked with a glance towards her husband who nodded in agreement. "Let Andy know that we'll meet him there." He asked of the boys before she turned on her heel and left the home with Mr. Cimabue in tow.

Once the two of them exited out the front door, Rhodon let out a loud sigh of relief as though their presence had been a complete struggle to endure, "Whew… I was so nervous being in front of them. Do you think they liked us? I'm not sure I can handle a lunch with them…" he remarked with a shake of his head as he placed his hands on his hips. He acted like an outgoing person, but inside there were many times he found himself to be more anxious than necessary in situations like this. Parents especially made him nervous… Rhodon was never certain how to act in front of them or what was considered unruly or unacceptable, and he most definitely did not know what to do when the parents suddenly broke out into arguments. He wasn't nervous earlier because he could easily take his mind off of such things when they weren't presently occurring, but when he was in their presence, he could feel the anxiety rising by the minute.

"You'll be fine. Besides, keep this in mind… if they don't like you, they definitely won't like me." Rapmon joked as he nudged Rhodon's arm with his elbow while he kept his hand in his pants' pocket. He had never met anyone as cheerful as Rhodon; he was literally the ray of golden sun that pierced through anyone's clouds of sadness. Rapmon had come to know him over the past semester of school, and he was aware of his tamed version of himself with first-meeting acquaintances. Rhodon didn't fake interest in anyone because he was one of those rare honest individuals, but he did change, if only slightly, over the period of a few days until he was adjusted to people around him. Rapmon saw him as an exponential curve… The first day he showed only part of his cheerful side, but as the curve continued, his happiness, hyperness, and craziness increased over time until he leveled off to his true self.

"There's no need to be nervous. Andy's already given me his word that he'll be staying here for the year, and he can't really change it now because the school year starts next week. So even if his parents didn't like us, he'd be staying with us." Aiden informed them with a smile upon joining the group with Andy, though he still hoped they would approve. He didn't want to be disliked by anyone, especially relatives of his friends.

"Aiden… sometimes parents just make people nervous." Evan remarked with a yawn, simply to suggest to his housemate that it probably wasn't because Andy's living arrangement may be on the line that Rhodon was so nervous. He was sure that everyone here was aware Andy had a secure spot in the house.

"I'm sorry if my parents make you feel uncomfortable. They can be a handful, but I hope you can eat a meal with them without any concerns." Andy chimed in with uncertainty lacing his voice. He was so eager to become friends with all six of them, and he hoped to start befriending them over lunch… But what if they were too nervous to even hold a conversation with him?

"Ah, no, that's not it. I mean, it's just how I am. It's not your parents specifically that make me nervous…" Rhodon assured him, suddenly feeling guilty now that he was aware Andy had overheard them. He didn't mean to be so negative about the matter, but it was difficult to control anxiety…

"Well… I'm sure we'll become more comfortable with your parents in no time. We should leave so that we don't keep them waiting." Jin remarked with a confident smile. He wasn't surprised that so many of them felt awkward in such a situation, but he himself was as comfortable as can be. He had had enough social experiences to leave little room for interactions that cause anxiety. He did notice that of all five of the others, Rapmon was the only one that didn't seem awkward and nervous, which was not how he had presented himself to his fellow housemates. This indicated to him that Rapmon was more comfortable with adults than others his age. Interesting…

With Andy feeling more assured about the situation, the group left for the restaurant on foot, speaking back and forth as they began their walk. Evan was one of the least enthusiastic of them all, considering the amount of work he was having to do to reach Papaleno's. Sure, it was free food, but did they really have to walk to get it? Ugh… As he lifted his green eyes from the sidewalk pavement and glanced left and right to observe his surroundings, he was reminded of the chase he was involved in with Damien the day before, and his mood became even more sour than before. He quickly checked to make sure Damien remained with the group, and as soon as his eyes fell upon that familiar backpack that was carried over Damien's shoulders, he allowed himself to ease the tension in his body that he wasn't aware of in the first place. He was right in front of him, walking alongside Jin, and hopefully that was where he would remain for the entire walk.

With a pep in his step at the front of the group, Aiden turned to face them to finally pose a question he was practically dying to ask now that everyone was together. "Since we are going to be living together, I think it's important to give some information about ourselves, especially to Andy. I don't think we've addressed our ages yet, so I'll go ahead and start! I am 18 years old."

"... Oh, me next?" Rhodon asked after a moment of silence, having assumed that the Chim Chim guy beside him would be next. "Uh, I'm… Geez, how can I forget something like this…" he laughed at himself as he ruffled his own hair with a tinge of embarrassment evident in his expression, "Ah! I'm 19, sorry. I was just thinking of something else…"

Andy smiled at Rhodon's response and even joined him in laughing at his mistake. To ensure that he didn't think he was laughing at his momentarily broken memory, he tagged a comment along, "Don't worry, I'm sure it happens to everyone." He wanted to try and lessen Rhodon's embarrassment before he addressed Aiden's question. "I'm 18 years old."

"What? You're 18?" Rapmon was surprised by Andy's age, expecting him to be perhaps a year younger than that due to his facial structure. For an 18-year-old, Andy had such baby cheeks! Well, looks most certainly weren't everything. "Interesting… I'm 19, but I'll be 20 in September."

Jin listened intently to the others' answers simply out of habit of gaining information, even though he was already aware of most of their ages. Once Rapmon finished, he took no time to give his answer, "I'm 21 years old." He offered a smile and then looked to his right to await Damien's answer.

Damien was not aware of how much older Jin was compared to him, and considering the others were close together in age, he felt as though he was in quite the minority here… Was it not normal for people his age to go to college? He didn't mean to keep everyone waiting for an answer for so long, but he was trying to decide whether or not he should actually tell them his real age… He didn't want to be left out, and he didn't want to be singled out as someone not worthy of befriending because of their age difference. And with this in mind, he spoke up quietly as he clasped his backpack straps in his hands as he usually did when he was nervous. "I'm 18." His eyes only looked up to exchange glances with Andy for the length of those two words before he returned his glance to his feet. He had to make eye contact to try and show confidence in his answer, and thankfully with how nervous he had been thus far with the rest of the group, it wasn't as suspicious as one might think.

Evan walked in the back of the group and was the last to announce his age, but he was too busy thinking about Damien's age! Was he really 18? There was no way he was that old! He could see Andy being 18, even with his chubby cheeks, but Damien? No way… He had many younger siblings, and he was positive he could tell whether or not someone could pass as an 18-year-old. Or… he was almost positive he could. Evan was beginning to question how certain he was that Damien wasn't 18, but for now, he should probably answer the question. "I'm 20 years old… and Damien, did you say you were 18?" He received a quick nod and only a split-second of eye contact from him in response. Somehow… he still didn't believe him, and he was sure Jin must be contemplating the truth as well.

Aiden was the only one who actually knew Damien's true age, and he was surprised when Damien claimed to be older. He was going to say something until he realized the probable reason as to why he lied about his age, and he decided to let it be. Why do people lie about the age? It's always to participate in something… If Damien felt that lying about his age would allow him to participate in the group better, then he felt no need to correct him.

Andy was excited to be a part of a household with varying ages and personalities, and most of all, he was eager to become a part of this community. "So Aiden's told me a lot about Berea and how he feels about the city… What do you guys think about Berea?" He asked with excitement and curiosity in his voice.

A moment of silence ensued as the housemates looked from one to the other, uncertain as to who would be answering Andy's question first. "I don't know about everyone else, but… I like it. There's not much to do around here, but we wouldn't have enough time to explore the city even if there was more to do. This college is tough, but the key is not to worry." Rhodon spoke up with a smile of encouragement. "It's a beautiful campus, too. It's great for lazing around in the sun." he grinned.

Jin stuffed his hands into his pants' pockets and laughed slightly as he nodded in agreement with Rhodon, "He's right. With everything this college asks of you, there isn't much time to place towards activities outside school. That's why I only set a certain amount of time aside for homework. It's important to do well in class, but you shouldn't spend all of your time working on assignments." He remarked with a superiority about him. He really seemed to know what he was talking about, and being a junior, he definitely had the experience to justify his decision in only giving homework a certain allotted time.

Rapmon didn't seem to agree with the two that spoke before him. Well… not completely anyways. "It's true that Berea assigns a lot of homework, but they're making it sound like prison. Just go out and have fun and put the time into the assignments when necessary. Don't take more than an hour on homework though. I've gotten by that way." He said, simply to put his two cents in. He always made amazing scores, and he hardly put any work into his classes. When he didn't understand classes, he'd study until he did, but that didn't usually take much.

Evan was uncertain of what to say at first… There were many times he couldn't stand being here at this college, but he was also attached to it in a way. "Yeah, it's an alright campus that throws a bunch of unnecessary work at you. But, you're hardly paying anything for it, so… can't complain too much I guess." He remarked with a shrug when Andy looked to him for his answer. He was grateful that Andy was showing himself to be someone who allows everyone to have a voice, which was definitely an important quality to have, in his opinion.

Andy could feel anxiety build up in his stomach as he listened to all of their comments, and he became quite conflicted by his feelings. He was worried about how studies would be, especially alongside the work he would be required to participate in on campus. At the same time, they all seemed to have found a way to cope with it, and some even liked the campus, so he hoped he would find himself in the same situation earlier on in the semester.

At last, the group reached the restaurant and filed into the entrance, each of them glancing this way and that for Andy's parents. It wasn't long before they were beckoned to the far right of the restaurant where two tables were placed beside each other longways in order to fit the entire group. As they made their way in that direction, Rapmon tripped on the small step ramp he had failed to notice, but thankfully, he made it to the table in one piece. They were informed by Mrs. Cimabue that they ordered 5 pizzas, 3 pepperoni and 2 cheese. Each of the boys were given a cup and hurried along to the drink station to fill them with their preferred drinks. They had to maneuver around many individuals due to the lunch rush hour, and there was even a line for the drinks!

Damien, who stood in the back of the line, was definitely feeling jittery due to all of this excitement buzzing around him. Everything he was seeing was exciting yet frightening at the same time… He completely spaced out as he waited in line because he was so occupied comparing what he was seeing to his home in England. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he was only slightly pushed forward by whoever was behind him. When he turned to see who had done so and why, he was shocked to see a red-haired girl so close. At the sight of her, his expression looked panicked, and he he immediately stumbled backwards, accidentally stepping on Rapmon's heel as he did so. Quickly he braced himself with Rapmon's help and was quick to cut in front of him as though it was vital to his life to be separated from her. That was a girl! A girl! She was so close! Why?!

"What the-? Damien, what's going on?" Rapmon asked instantly as he helped the boy try and regain himself and allowed him in front of him in the line. He looked pale and frightened! What could have scared him so bad? "You alright?" He saw Damien look over his shoulder to look around him for only an instant before immediately turning back around only for him to face Rhodon, who was now questioning him. Rapmon had accidentally pushed him when his heel was stepped on, so naturally he was brought into it.

"What'd you do? Show him your face?" Rhodon laughed at Rapmon jokingly once he noticed the look on Damien's face. Oh… maybe it wasn't the time to be joking, "Ah, sorry. What's bothering you?" He asked as he cleared his throat and changed his demeanor altogether to acknowledge that the situation might be serious.

"My face? What's wrong with my face? Have you looked at yours lately? You know you bare a close resemblance to a horse, right?" Rapmon retorted in reference to Rhodon's long facial structure, exchanging one insult for another. Unlike Rhodon, his facial expression showed no sign of joking, even though that was exactly what he was doing.

"This guy, I swear.." Rhodon shook his head as a grin came across his face. He and Rapmon joked around like this quite often, so he didn't mind the insults at all! Again, he had to shake off the fun interaction he was having with his friend in order to address whatever Damien was dealing with. Before he could ask again, though, another girl passed by and had to squeeze past them to return to her seat, and poor Damien had to resort to pressing his small body as close to the counter as possible while he simultaneously pulled Rhodon slightly in front of him to use him as a human shield. Of course Damien had encountered the opposite sex several times in his life, but that didn't change the fact that he wanted nothing to do with them in close proximity. He'd rather just get to know them by watching from afar rather than being forced into a one-on-one kind of situation.

"Whoa, hey, what're you-" Rhodon cut himself off when he realized that Damien was only moving him in order to place some distance between himself and the passing girl, and he couldn't help but grin at the thought. He was definitely tempted to laugh, but he didn't want to embarrass Damien when he didn't know him well enough to do so. Maybe he'd tease him about it in the future, but for now, he probably should keep to himself on the matter. For the most part. Once the girl was out of sight, he turned to face Damien, whose deer-in-the-headlights expression reflected how he felt in the situation, "What's that look? Haven't you ever been around girls before?" He teased him just enough before coming into eye contact with Evan, who had just finished pouring Dr. Pepper into his cup and noticed that Rhodon was no longer right behind him.

"What's the hold up?" Evan asked as he gestured for Rhodon to hurry up and get his drink. What was he grinning about? He didn't understand why he was making everyone else wait behind him, considering this was quite the busy hour. He had heard some of the conversation he had held with Rapmon and even heard some of the commotion behind him, but he assumed they were just goofing off, which could be done in another time and place. Man, he felt like he was watching his siblings…

"Right, sorry." Rhodon apologized, understand that Evan's gesture basically meant that he should get his drink and get out of the way. He didn't mean to keep people waiting, but it was more Damien's fault for holding everything up! Quickly, he pressed his cup against the lever that released the water, and once his cup was filled, he moved out of the way for Damien to fill his cup with water as well. As Rapmon grabbed himself a coke, Rhodon walked alongside Damien to lead him up the ramp to the main seating area where the rest of the group was, "You know, I don't blame you for freaking out like that. The female species really can be quite terrifying." He laughed a little as he sat down on the opposite end of the table from the parents. He knew they needed to be friendly with the parents, but he'd rather just do that from a distance to ease his nerves.

Damien could feel heat rising into his cheeks as the embarrassment inside him grew. He couldn't help that he was too shy for so many situations, but he wasn't afraid of girls! Not really… Quietly, he sat down beside Rhodon and took a sip of his water as he watched Jin and Andy sit on either side of the parents. Aiden took a seat beside Andy, and Rapmon sat between Aiden and Rhodon, leaving the seat between Damien and Jin wide open for Evan to sit at. Damien watched Evan sit down in the corner of his eyes and nervously looked away when he was almost caught staring.

"Damien, have I told you about how Berea doesn't do background checks? I have, haven't I? I think it's great that we- I mean criminals are given second chances." Evan remarked without even looking his way. He couldn't resist messing with him while he was still intimidated by him. He took a gulp of his Dr. Pepper not long after the question was posed to the poor boy, but his eyes soon drifted over to Jin when he realized the oldest was mentally throwing daggers at him, "...What?"

Jin was so tempted to give Evan a good smack against the back of his head to knock some sense into him, but he kept his professionalism and instead scolded him in a whisper, "Stop telling him lies and putting things into his head. He's got enough to worry about."

Evan pouted in response and again raised his glass to his lips, "Who says they're lies?" He then took a few more gulps and placed his cup back down, not daring to look in Damien's direction. He knew the kid was at least a little concerned about his comments, and he would probably laugh if he saw his face.

Sure enough, Damien's wide eyes spoke for him. Was Evan really a criminal? Or, as Jin was saying, was he only lying? He couldn't tell! But when he thought about it, after his experience with Evan last night, he was doubting that Evan was a criminal… He had somehow felt comforted and more at ease from his presence last night, so he wasn't so gullible this time. In fact, he hoped that making a comment on the matter would give him the correct answer in return. So, he gathered the courage up inside of him to speak up and leaned forward to look over at Jin because Evan was in the way, "It's all right Mr. Kasey. I know he's just joking." He assured him with as much confidence as he could muster. He didn't call Jin by his first name because he had always been told that it was disrespectful to call someone by their first name if they were older.

Evan was taken aback by Damien's reaction. He had only just chased down Damien the day before, and yet this shy, gullible, and socially awkward kid was already beginning to adapt to him. He simply didn't expect him to recognize his joking ways this soon, and he definitely didn't think he would speak up in front of him on the matter. A grin found its way across his lips as his eyes fell upon Damien, "You know, you learn pretty quick, kid, I'll give you that."

Rhodon allowed a laugh to escape his lips in response to Damien and Evan, also surprised by the fact that Damien didn't take the comments as seriously as before. He just couldn't help but find the whole situation funny! And the name Damien called Jin by just made it even better! "Mr. Kasey? Damien, you can call him Jin; he's not as adult as you might think he is." He laughed as he tried not to choke on the water he had been sipping.

"I'm not entirely sure if that was meant to be an insult or not." Jin chuckled as he cocked his head to the side at Rhodon's comment, trying to figure out whether or not he should be insulted. He was definitely an adult! But… was he an /adult/? He then turned to look at Damien with an assuring smile, "He's right, though. You don't need to call me by my last name or Mr. Honestly I'm not so adjusted to the American last name I adopted because I don't use it much…"

"Well, if you don't want to be called that, then what would you rather be called by those of us who are younger? I mean… I hear you're 21 years old. Do we really call you by your first name if you're our elder?" Andy pitched in, trying to figure out this name thing for himself. His parents seemed to be discussing a bit of business amongst themselves, so he didn't care to be quite as involved with them as he did the other housemates.

Jin listened to Andy for a moment as he crossed his arms with thought and leaned back in his chair. He didn't quite like the sound of formalities in America, at least for his name. It just sounded weird coming from others who were close to his age. However, an idea soon popped into his head, and he glanced around the table to be able to catch any of their answers, "Are any of you taking a Korean language class this semester?"

Each of the roommates exchanged glances as a sign of slight confusion, but each of them either voiced their response or used their body language to do so. The entire group gave a resounding 'yes'! Jin's eyes gleamed with delight, and he immediately smiled from ear to ear at the news. Even they seemed to be surprised by the fact they would all be sharing the class. "ALL of you? This has to be the biggest coincidence I have ever seen… Why did you all decide to take the class?"

"Uh… I meant to choose Japanese as my language of interest, but I clicked on Korean instead, so… I decided it was my destiny to be in the Korean course instead." Aiden responded with a nod as he pressed his lips together.

"Well, I was hoping to at least share one class with Aiden, so after he told me about his mistake, I figured clicking on it might allow me a better chance to have that opportunity." Andy answered honestly.

"I've been wanting to learn Korean ever since I met this Korean guy in New York. He's been a kind of mentor to me, so I thought it'd be cool." Rhodon replied, "And then I suggested it to Rapmon. He wasn't too interested, but I convinced him. Since he can already rap in Japanese and English, shouldn't he also be able to rap in Korean? This was my thought, and so after too much consideration, he agreed to it."

"I can speak for ma'self, you know." Rapmon commented in a slightly joking manner as he turned his head to look at Rhodon with a serious glance.

"Yeah, I know, but I wanted to be the one to tell the story. I tell them best, remember?" Rhodon returned the look for a mere second before he began to laugh and covered his mouth as he did so, simply out of habit. He couldn't be serious for long at all!

Evan allowed Rapmon and Rhodon to finish their bickering as a grin remained on his face, and then he nudged Jungkook to speak up, "How'd you get into Korean class? I myself just wanted to take a language that wasn't as popular at this college."

Damien smiled nervously, merely because he was enjoying the atmosphere at the table but at the same time was unsure of what to do with himself, "My brother actually picked it for me because I couldn't decide. But… What does this have to do with what we should call you?" He said, returning his eyes to Jin towards the end.

Jin was not surprised by their reasons as to why they ended up in Korean class, but he was nonetheless pleased by the outcome. It wasn't everyday that one's housemates also happen to me learning the same language you're fluent in! "I'm glad you asked that question… And because you are all going to be taken the Korean language course that I myself am the teacher's assistant for, I don't see why we shouldn't start with a bit of Korean culture right now. So… In Korea, you refer to your older brother as 'hyung' or will add 'hyung' to the end of their first name as you would a suffix. Since we're living in the same household and will be getting to know each other, I believe this term is fitting and will prove to make us closer as a household unit. For example, because I am older than all of you, I expect you each to refer to me from now on as either Jin-hyung or hyung. You should do the same for the rest of your housemates."

The entire group responded with a stare, uncertain as to how serious he was. Was he really already teaching them something when they weren't even in school yet? Was he aware there were a few days left until class actually begins? Once Andy realized the seriousness of his comment, he piped up to question the pronunciation of the word,"Hyong?"

"Hyong?" Aiden repeated Andy's pronunciation.

"Hyun." Damien piped in, but then realized he was actually uncertain, "Hyun? Hyon?" He became quieter the more he dragged it on and thought about it.

"No, no, no. It's Hyungu." Rapmon spoke up to correct the others in a purposely over exaggerated, Japanese-like pronunciation just for a reaction from Jin. This was obvious only because he flashed a grin in Jin's direction.

"This is not Japanese. This is Korean. It's Hyung. Not Hyungu." Jin insisted as he pointed at Rapmon and narrowed his eyes at him to show he would not be stepping down from this rivalry. He then cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the group in general, "Also, the youngest of you is referred to as the maknae, though this term is not necessary to use all the time. So… which one of you is the youngest?" he asked, though he did have his suspicions. Damien /had/ to be the youngest!

Aiden glanced over at Damien and then turned his head to look at Andy, "Uh… I turn 19 on December 30th." he spoke up before awaiting answers from the other two 18-year-olds.

"Yes! I'm older!" Andy exclaimed excitedly with both fists raised to nose-height to show his enthusiasm. He laughed as he received a nudge from Aiden and then returned his eyes to Jin, "My birthday is on October 13th."

Damien's lips curved into a frown as he listened to the others' birthdays, coming to the realization that he would be considered older than both of them because he had told them he was already 18. Well… here it goes. "My birthday is September 1st." he said with as much confidence as possible.

Jin raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't expect Aiden to be the youngest of the three of them, and obviously neither did the others, considering the shocked looks upon their faces. How was Damien /not/ the youngest?! Unsatisfied by the answer, he still accepted it and glanced over at Aiden to address him, "So if you're the youngest, everyone is allowed to address you as 'maknae', and I hope to hear it now and then so I know that all of you are practicing."

Of the entire group, Andy and Rhodon seemed to be the most excited about already learning Korean terms. Andy had even pulled out a small notepad and a pen last-minute in order to write these terms down so he wouldn't forget. He couldn't wait to finally start college for many reasons, and learning a different language other than English and Spanish was one of them. Something that particularly hit chords with him was what Jin had mentioned about the term 'hyung'. He hoped more than anything that he and the other housemates would become close enough to see each other as brothers, and he wasn't the only one who hoped for this.

With many siblings of his own, Evan wasn't quite looking for the 'brother' relationship. He didn't want to be burdened with the responsibilities and the blame that came along with being the older brother of his household. He never really considered any of his previous friends as brothers, so he didn't see why this group should be any different. They were just people he would be living with, and he probably wouldn't get much out of it besides a roof to sleep under and an everyday headache. Of course, this was just his pessimistic thought-process for the moment…

"It's good to know you'll be living with someone who will encourage you to work on your studies." Andy's mother piped in with a smile, finally joining the conversation now that she had spoken enough with her husband. It had seemed as though they were discussing something serious up until now, so it was understandable.

Andy couldn't help but to nod in response, even though he wasn't honestly very thrilled to have someone pushing him around to do his studies. He'd rather be motivated to do so by himself… Hopefully Jin wasn't the kind of person to push him around; he didn't really get that vibe from him in the first place. His mother was probably looking too much into it… Before anyone else could speak up, however, his mother continued.

"Are you all involved in any extracurricular activities?" Mrs. Cimabue was hoping that her son would be very involved at school, especially in sports that mattered. He had to be well recognized for the talents she knew he had!

"Mom, I'm not really interested in-" Andy began, but he soon became quiet when she signaled for him not to interrupt with a finger raised. He knew what she was doing… She was attempting to make him interested in joining some team so that he would actually enjoy something that both parents felt a guy should enjoy. He was aware they didn't like what he was actually interested in, but they had never even seen what he was capable of! He only wished they would give him a chance to make them proud in a talent he actually enjoyed…

Jin noticed the slightest frown tugging at Andy's lips when he was hushed by his mother, and he himself couldn't help but to feel concerned. He kept a smile on his face for the time-being, just so he could remain friendly with the parents. "Well, I'm interested in joining intramural soccer and volleyball, but I plan on joining track and field."

Damien was surprised to hear Jin's interest in track and field, and he immediately spoke up with excitement laced in his voice, "You're joining the track and field team as well?! Are you a runner?" he asked as he grinned from ear to ear. He was worried he wouldn't even have a familiar face to be with on the team, but if Jin was on the team, maybe it wouldn't be so bad!

The housemates each glanced at each other, exchanging looks of awe before some of them just burst out laughing. "OOOOH!" Rhodon exclaimed as he nearly stood from his seat because of how surprised he was. He grabbed hold of Rapmon's shoulder and gave it a small shake as if to make him join in on the excitement, though he was already laughing.

Evan knit his eyebrows together and offered Damien a look of confusion. He was so quiet all the time, and yet here he is being the loudest at the table in this single moment! This was his second random bout of courage today; he was on a roll! "Look, Damien, we all know you can run, or at least I do, so why don't you just stop yelling about it?" he said as seriously as possible before he himself began to laugh. It actually was an unexpected moment, and he was glad to see that after speaking with his twin, he was beginning to be a little more social.

Rapmon shook his head as a grin remained on his lips and then waved his right hand as a gesture towards the parents, "Don't mind us; we're still warming up to each other. Some things are still catching us all off guard. I'm sure y'all are confused as to why everyone got so excited all of a sudden over what Damien over here said, and to clarify, here's what I know so far: Damien has been almost completely silently ever since I arrived this morning, and all I received was some creepy smile from him earlier. Apparently the silence is rather normal for him according to the others as well, and yet here he is speaking back to Evan and getting all pumped about track and field. We all just got a bit excited." he said in an attempt to give an excuse as to why the group was being so rowdy all of a sudden. He even chuckled at the end of his comment.

Jin chuckled as he leaned over to respond to Damien, "I am not a runner, but I'm sure I'll see you more frequently than not. I'm actually a javelin thrower. I've done shotput a few times, but I really just do whatever the coach asks of me. The track team is really good though; you'll probably enjoy your time there." he added in with a smile.

Damien was caught off guard by the response he received from his excitement, especially by Rhodon's response. He didn't understand why they all became so noisy all of a sudden! The confusion was evident in his face, even with the nervous smile that lay across his lips. It wasn't until Rapmon explained to Andy's parents what was going on that he actually understood and laughed as well, though he was more embarrassed than anything.

"Anyways…" Aiden calmed his laughing to continue the conversation, "I'm not really into any sports or anything like that, but I'm kind of interested in choir. My parents had me taking piano lessons for a while, and my grandmother even gave me the piano we have in the basement. Thing is… I never could figure the instrument out and ended up quitting it. So… I think singing may be the only thing I have going for me extracurricular-wise." he replied with a slight frown.

Evan's jaw dropped after Aiden's comment, and he stared at the boy with obvious excitement, "You have a piano, and you didn't tell me?! You could have listed that on the roommate ad you had, too!" he exclaimed as his expression changed to one of disappointed. He leaned back in his chair with a cross of his arms and a shake of his head. He couldn't believe there was a piano in the basement; this whole living situation just got even better! Oh, and add in the small detail that Aiden sings… that was pretty cool, too. He wondered what he sounded like… He was probably a tenor or something- maybe he even had a falsetto.

"Whoa, now look who's getting all excited! I don't think I've seen you expend this much energy even when I saw you walking to class all of last year." Rapmon joked before Aiden responded once more.

"How was I even suppose to know-" Aiden cut himself off as he tried to subdue his laughter when he realized what Rapmon had said, "Did you really just say that?" His stomach was beginning to hurt from all of this! He returned his eyes to Evan and continued on with his sentence, "Sorry, but again, how was I supposed to know that you were interested in a piano? You said you were a rapper- I don't exactly connect the two." he clarified.

"Wow… That's offensive, and Hiroshi, your comment was uncalled for." Evan commented briefly as he turned his head to the side to avoid looking at him. His head continued to shake in disapproval, even though he actually was just messing with Aiden and Rapmon, "Wow... " he pursed his lips together and exhaled deeply through his nose. "Rappers can play piano, too, you know."

Aiden frowned at Evan's remark, believing that he really was offended by what he had said. He didn't mean to say anything rude; he only meant to say he hadn't expected it. Of course, perhaps that's still stereotyping, but he didn't really know anything about rappers! "I'm really sorry… I just didn't know." he pouted.

An awkward silence came over the boys at the table, that is until Evan's snickering broke it. "Aiden, I'm not offended; I was just joking around." he informed him only to receive a relieved sigh from his housemate as well as laughter around the table. Evan wasn't even aware of how easy it was for him to participate in the group discussion all of a sudden… He wasn't even thinking about how easy it was to actually talk to this group of strangers, at least compared to other individuals. Somehow, he found himself strangely involved with the conversations at the table.

"I knew that…" Aiden hadn't expected Evan of all people to be the one joking around, considering his past couple of days with him, but he was grateful that his new friend was beginning to loosen up a little for once. "But hey, seriously if you want to use the piano, go right ahead." he added in.

Andy's mother was delighted to hear there were athletes among the housemates, but she was a little uncertain about the whole rapping thing… She only hoped he didn't do any of that vulgar stuff! "So how about you? Any extracurricular activities?" she asked Rhodon this time.

Rhodon, who was distracted by Rapmon at the time, awkwardly glanced left and right when he was nudged on the shoulder, only to realize she was directing the question at him, "Oh, me? I'm on the baseball team, that's about it." he shrugged, "By the way… you said you were taking choir?" he asked Aiden curiously.

With a nod and a gulp of his Dr. Pepper, Aiden placed his cup back on the table and flashed a smile in his direction, "That's right. I enjoy music, so I decided I should give it a shot."

"Don't do concert choir." Evan interrupted seriously, "I was in that class for two days, saw the musical selection, and then ditched the class for good. Seriously, you don't sing anything except-" he cut himself off when he realized Andy's parents may be offended if he said something about not liking the amount of spirituals performed by the choir, "... Except the same genre for the entire performance. Don't get me wrong, they sound amazing. But, it's hard to stay awake through two hours of the same old stuff."

Jin nodded in agreement, "He's right. I was in the concert choir last year as well, though I stuck with it for two whole semester. That class takes a lot of outside time, and the music does get a little tiring… I would suggest BME, the Black Music Ensemble. The choir is amazing, the class time is manageable, and the energy in the group is better than I've seen in any of the choirs on campus. I don't know anyone who doesn't like that choir." he suggested.

"Really? It sounds great! I'm interested in music myself, so maybe I'll join you." Andy piped up as he nudged Aiden with his elbow and a grin upon his face. He was excited to hear that there was such a good choir on campus, and if so many people liked it, he was sure he would as well. It would be even better if Aiden was there with him.

Aiden was thrilled to be suggested a choir with a good reputation, but he was even more excited that Andy was interested in the music area as well. It seemed as though many of the housemates were music-affiliated in some way… huh…

The group remained talkative throughout the lunch period, though they still found it difficult to speak with the parents all the time. They did try to be social with them, but because they were still getting to know each other, they were more interested in talking amongst themselves, especially Andy. He was already enjoying his time here! After approximately 45 minutes had passed, all of them had finished their meal and even goodbyes had already been said between Andy and his parents. All of the housemates thanked the parents for the food and bid them farewell at last before departing for the house with their newest housemate amongst them.

"Man, I feel kind of bad… We should have spoken to your parents more. I think we were just too busy talking to each other. Do you think you can apologize for us?" Aiden asked Andy as he scuffed his shoes along the pavement just enough to kick a couple of rocks that lay in his way on the sidewalk.

"Are you kidding? I think my parents were just fine listening to us and discussing their own business between themselves. Honestly, my mom looked happy about me staying with you guys after lunch was over. I think she saw that you were all pretty cool people." Andy laughed as he turned his head to watch his parents' truck drive off into the distance. He wasn't exactly positive about how he felt in that moment, but perhaps he had a mixture of emotions welled up inside of him. With a deep breath, he turned to face the direction he was headed once more, only to let out something he had been holding for a while, "Whoo~! Freedom!" he shouted with his fists raised to the sky in triumph, "It's like I'm breathing new air being in another state, being at college, living without my parents- it's great!"

Aiden laughed and couldn't help but to celebrate with his friend, whooping and hollering with him as they even began a light jog due to all of their excitement. The two soon calmed themselves down when Jin cupped his hands around his mouth to project his voice and tell them what he had to say about the matter,"Stop running before you hurt someone! And don't run in the streets!" The two slowed down, waited for the rest of the group, apologized with smiles on their faces, and continued walking alongside Rapmon this time.

"Ya'll are really that excited to be joining college and to be getting out of the house? I tell you what, ya'll think you're ready for all of the responsibility you're about to get yourselves into, but you really ain't. Just wait, sooner or later you'll be wishing you never came to college. Unless you're like me and the rest of us here; we really love to be tortured and deprived of all of the fun we could be having while we are studying 24/7." Rapmon commented towards the two so-called youngest of the housemates. He chuckled and patted Andy's shoulder, "Ah, who am I kidding... I hardly study anything. It really depends on your major and what kind of person you are." he assured him before stuffing his hands into his pants' pockets. "Man, I can't wait til I can finally change out of these clothes. Evan's been complaining about wearing a polo shirt while I'm over here wearing slacks and a button-up shirt. Tell me that's reasonable."

Andy and Aiden grinned in response to Rapmon's comments, but instead of continuing the conversation, an idea popped into Aiden's head, and he was quick to bring it up, "Hey, why don't we all play a game when we get back to the house? Have any of you ever played Headbands? I have a Disney one we can play!"

"But we just had two hours of social interaction…" Evan mumbled to himself with a groan as he scratched the back of head and brushed his hair away from his eyes,

"Headbands? I've not heard of the game, but I do know Disney. I wouldn't mind playing something of the sort." Jin replied as he considered the idea. He actually knew more about Disney than most people could probably guess…

"Um… Disney is an entertainment company, right? I believe I've heard of it, but I don't know much about it." Damien spoke up. He had seen posters about movies and animated films, but he couldn't recall ever seeing one. He and his brother were firmly restricted to studies and other things that would assist them in their future, and everything that did not benefit their future would not be worth their time apparently.

"What? You're telling me you don't know DISNEY? Please tell me you're joking right now! Damien, prepare to be cultured. You're about to be introduced to many amazing movies and the like!" Aiden exclaimed with a sense of authority about him. He could not allow this to go without resolve!

"But what would we show him first? You have to introduce him properly." Andy insisted as he pondered what would be a good introduction to Disney. He didn't know anyone who didn't know this company…

"Oh, we've /got/ to show him The Lion King." Rapmon suggested enthusiastically before quoting the movie in a weird voice change to mock it, " 'MuFASA.' 'Oooh'" he even shivered like one of the hyenas and then laughed it off.

The group roared with laughter as they approached the house, coming upon the unanimous decision that they should watch the movie to show Damien just how good a Disney movie can be. Immediately after entering the home, all of them went their separate ways to change into comfortable clothing and within 10 minutes, gathered into the living room and onto the couch as Aiden prepared the movie. The entire group had made sure that Damien sat in the center to get the best viewing as possible. Sitting to his right were Rapmon, Rhodon, and Evan, and to his left were Jin, Andy, and Aiden.

As the movie began, the familiar African tune sounded from the speakers with the view of an orange sunrise bursting from the screen. "NANTS INGONYA~ma bagithi Baba!" All of the boys immediately began the movie right on time, though they may not have all said the exact lyrics… In fact, instead of actually trying to sound good while the introduction began, many of them were merely shouting obnoxiously until it continued on and they began to sing passionately instead.

"Ooh, I love this part!" Rhodon commented to himself before shouting out again when the next phrase was to be sung, "WHAAAAT'S ON THE MENUUUU, Iiiit could be a piece of meat, stinky you, it's PUMBAAAA~!"

"Bro, that's Lion King 1 ½!" Rapmon exclaimed as he whacked him with a pillow across his chest. He shook his head in disappointment. How could he mix the two movies up? The first was so much better!

Damien was more than confused about what was going on, but it was most certainly entertaining for him to listen to all of them and watch the movie at the same time. All of this was so new to him, but he was beginning to understand how Andy had felt when he was celebrating his parting from his parents. He was excited to be spending time with people he had never met before, especially when they seemed to hold no shame as to what they did when a Disney movie was showing.

As the movie continued, the boys became quiet for a while to give Damien a bit of peace so he could actually take the movie in. Even though six of them had seen the movie many times, they still looked as though they were entranced by it, not even once taking their eyes off of the screen- except for when they wanted to see Damien's reaction to something. This continued for a while with the boys watching intently and singing songs when they came up.

However, after Scar's singing scene with the Hyenas, Rhodon's phone rang, and he had to leave the room and hide himself in the master bedroom in order to speak. He was attempting to stifle his laughter when he answered, "Hey, Dad." He listened to what his father had to say for a moment and immediately his face contorted into a concerned expression, "What..? Dad, no. You can't…" He bent his knees and eased himself down into a sitting position with his back against the wall as he ran his free hand through his semi-thick, brown locks. "What about the others? Don't you know this will affect them, too? You just can't… Mom needs you. /We/ need you." he insisted as the stress increased in his voice. " … What do you mean it won't change anything? Of course it will..! Dad, you can't do this… Mom needs you, and you know it. She's just struggling… She can't get past something like this on her own. It's been 2 years since he died; she just needs time to recover… What? No. No, that's not long enough. I told both of you that she needed to go to counseling, but she never went and you never took her..! … I don't care if she insisted she didn't want it, you should have done it, and you still can. Please… don't give up on her. We moved to the United States to have a new life, so… so, why don't we actually start a new life? I don't see how that's so unreasonable…"

Rhodon couldn't help but feel partly responsible for the mess his family was in right now… He may be the youngest, but he still felt that he could have done something more. He wondered many times if going to college was the right choice, but every time he reminded himself that this was why he was going to college… He wanted to become a counselor, a psychiatrist, someone who could pick up the pieces and reassemble the lives of those who couldn't pull themselves back together. Rhodon hated that he couldn't help his mom just yet, but if he could only convince his father it wasn't too late, maybe he wouldn't have to blame himself so much for having not been born sooner to be able to do something now. "Dad, promise me… Promise me you won't leave. Promise me you'll keep looking after her… Yeah… Okay. Thanks, Dad… Stay strong; everything will turn out for the better one day… Yeah. Je t'aime."

Rhodon hung up the phone and tossed it onto the floor before he released a heavy sigh and briefly brushed his hands across his face as if this action would assist him in relieving the stress he felt. He should have gone home for the entire summer instead of just for a couple weeks even though he had to work… He should have checked in more often to make sure everything was okay. He became aware of the inevitable tears that began swelling in his eyes as soon as he felt the heat rising in his face, but instead of allowing them to fall, he quickly shook his head, stood up, and slapped his cheeks a few times to perk himself up. "Shake it off, Rhodon. You can't keep blaming yourself; it's bad for your health. You don't have control over everything, but that doesn't mean you can't get through it. Don't worry everything will be fine." he talked to himself as he entered the master bedroom's bathroom and checked the mirror only to point at himself, "Now pull yourself together and worry about this when you call him back another time." he insisted. He promptly left the bathroom, picked up his phone and slipped it into his right shorts pocket, and then left the room altogether to rejoin the others with that usual smile upon his lips.

"What took you so long? You missed 'Hakuna Matata', you know… And here I thought that was your favorite song." Rapmon whispered to his friend once he had sat down. Rhodon had to be particularly careful because Evan had fallen asleep while he was gone. How did he fall asleep so fast anyway?

"Did I really? That sucks…" Rhodon pouted as he turned his attention to the screen to see grown-up Simba leaving Pumba and Timon in the grass to be by himself. He didn't exactly answer Rapmon's question, but he did sort of feel as though the question was rhetorical. "How's Damien liking it so far?"

"Huh? Oh, I think he likes it a lot. I mean, his eyes have been completely glued to the screen. I'm pretty sure he almost cried when Mufasa died, but Aiden nearly cried too, so I'm not sure how surprising that is." he whispered with a grin.

Rhodon chuckled a bit and finally dedicated all of his attention back onto the movie so he wouldn't be interrupting the movie any further. He was at least grateful for the distraction the movie provided for him, even though the mood that encompassed the room was the exact opposite of how he was feeling inside. He knew very well that it was up to him to change how he felt in order for him to enjoy the moment, so he was trying his best to forget the call at least for now.

It wasn't long before Simba and Nala were reunited and the infamous love song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" began to play, which was Rhodon and Rapmon's que to take on Timon and Pumba's parts consecutively.

"I can see what's happening." "What?" "And they don't have a clue!" "Who?" "They'll fall in love, and here's the bottom line… Our trio's down to two!" "Oh…" "Ze sweet caress of twilight… There's magic everywhere. And with all this romaaaantic atomosphere… DISASTER'S IN THE AIR~" Of course, Evan's sleep was completely disturbed by this point and all he could do was offer up a small glare to Rhodon because he was the one who awoke him.

When it was Simba and Nala's part, Aiden immediately stood from his seat to take part in the sing-along. Instead of singing obnoxiously this time, however, he sang in a deep, clear tone and matched the style Simba's voice was singing in, "So many things to tell her, but how to make her see… the truth about my past? Impossible! She'd turn away from me…" He was very dramatic with his piece, especially in his motions.

"Oooh!" Andy was surprised by Aiden's actual singing talented, but he was busy trying to sing Nala's part while trying not to laugh from all of the excitement! "He's holding back, he's hiding. Ahem.. But what, I can't decide. Why won't he be the king I know he is, the king I see insiiiide?" He broke off in laughter while all of the others began to clap for their performance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it!" Evan called out over the music as he reached over to grab the remote and pause the movie and look over at the two of them, "Are you serious right now? Of all of the interesting things to say about yourself earlier today, you tell us about a cereal horror story and not the fact that you can sing that well? Here I was, thinking you were joking about the choir thing since the movie started and all of a sudden you're belting a voice like that out! Also, where did YOUR voice come from Andy? Can you normally sing that high?" he said in awe of their singing talents.

"Uh... Yeah, I can. I guess my range is pretty okay." Andy replied as he averted his eyes to the floor and and rubbed his arm, revealing how shy he was now that he was being complimented. He promptly sat down to relieve himself of a bit of the spotlight.

Aiden merely flashed a grin at Evan, extremely proud that he was able to shock him as much as he did. Sometimes he liked to remind people that there is always more to someone that who they appear to be, and his singing voice was always his favorite way of doing just that.

The others seemed to be just as shocked as Evan about the whole thing, except Damien was merely smiling at them as he clapped. He had no prior assumptions about their voices, so all he thought was how amazing they sounded- they were even able to make it comical at the same time! Jin couldn't deny that he was surprised by their voices, but he at least believed that because they were considering choir, they were more than likely to have good voices… Rapmon and Rhodon were too busy laughing about the roles the two of them were playing to be as surprised as the others.

Evan shook his head and played the movie once more, suddenly more awake now that he was aware of two singers in the household. He didn't know why, but he was much more excited about days to come now that he knew this… Was it possible they could do something musical together?

The movie didn't last much longer after that, and at the end the group was clapping to show their appreciation for the beloved Disney film, "Ahhh, so goooood~!" Rhodon commented as he stood up to stretch and looked over at Damien, just as everyone else did, "How'd you like it?"

Damien happily nodded and gave a thumbs up, "It was brilliant. I liked the baboon." he replied as he stood to stretch just as Rhodon had. "Does Disney have many movies like this?"

"Well, obviously not exactly like this, but Disney has plenty of movies that have a great song selection and likable characters." Jin replied cheerfully, glad to see he had enjoyed the movie. "I'm sure Aiden has more movies somewhere in this house that we can watch in the future. Anyways, are you hungry? You didn't eat much at lunch…" he asked him, having been concerned for a short while now. Damien had only eaten two slices of pizza when everyone else had eaten more! How does he get full off of that?

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I ate enough." Damien replied simply with a smile as he stepped aside to allow Jin to stand as well, He tried his best to eat as much as he could, but he honestly just didn't like the amount of cheese the pizza had on it. Of course, he ate it anyways because it was the polite thing to do.

"Are you making dinner again tonight?" Aiden asked hopefully when he heard the topic of food being brought up. He wasn't hungry just yet, but he was definitely eager to have Jin cook food again!

"Sure, I don't mind. As long as you all agree on something you want to eat that we have ingredients for." Jin replied as he patted Damien on the shoulder and moved past him to make his way to the bathroom. He was definitely more than happy to eat more Korean-oriented food!


	7. Chapter 6: First Steps

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I just wanted to say thank you for reading the story up to this point! I've had a comment or two about some of the characters and their more serious sides/lack of seriousness, and I just want to say that I promise that there is a reason as to why all of them act the way they do at this moment. I am definitely looking forward to writing more dramatic and serious scenes, but until then, please stick with the story! Also, I am dropping some hints as to what the backstories of the characters are, so maybe you'll know them by the time they are actually explained! Again, thanks for taking the time to read and please add more comments!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: First Steps**

After a back and forth discussion among all of the housemates, it was decided that the dish to be prepared for dinner was going to be bulgogi, a beef-based dish. With this decision out of the way, everyone was already pumped for the meal to come, even though they wouldn't be eating for a few hours from now.

"Aiden. Hey. Aiden." Evan called to get his attention as Aiden was busy expressing his excitement to Jin about the meal. _Why is he so obnoxious about it?_ They just ate almost two hours ago; how could he even think about how good food might be right now? It seemed as though it was hard to grab Aiden's attention when he was this riled up… _How bothersome_.

"Hey! Maknae!" Andy exclaimed with great enthusiasm as he practically jumped Aiden from behind and shook his shoulder, gesturing in Evan's direction. Evan wasn't being aggressive enough to grab his attention, so he decided to assist his new acquaintance. "Evan's calling you."

Aiden was a little confused as to why he was being called Maknae, but he quickly remembered Jin's informative vocabulary lesson at Papaleno's and turned to face Evan with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I'm really enjoying having so much cultural food for once! What's up?" he asked, curious as to what Evan wanted to speak with him about.

Evan nodded to Andy to show his appreciation and then returned his eyes to Aiden to finally pose his question, "You mentioned a piano while we were at Papaleno's… can I go check it out?" He hadn't played on a piano for nearly a year now, and he really missed everything about the instrument. The gentle, yet powerful sound that resounded from it, the smoothness of the keys, and the relief he always felt after playing- he missed it all.

"Oh, right. I completely forgot you were interested in seeing it. Follow me." Aiden gestured for Evan to follow him to the door that stood between the television and the wall to the next room. He opened the door to reveal the garage and walked down two steps onto the cement floor only to turn to his right towards another door, which was evidently the basement as said by the sign that hung by a nail in the center of the wood. Once this door was opened, Aiden flipped a light switch to turn on the light in the stairwell and as they approached the bottom of the steps, he switched on another light that lit up the entire space. The basement was slightly bigger than the master bedroom, but it seemed to be larger than in reality because of how empty the space was. Only the grand piano occupied the room, sitting near the center of the far wall. "There it is. As I said earlier, this is my grandmother's grand piano. She loves this thing, but she didn't have room at her place and I was supposed to be taking lessons… It'd be nice if someone put it to use."

The sight of the basement was slightly disappointing in Evan's eyes because he hadn't expected the room to feel so cold and bare, but his spirits lifted at the sight of the beautifully polished, black piano. It didn't even look as worn out as he had imagined… "How long has it been down here?"

"A couple years. It still looks brand new though, doesn't it?" Aiden asked as a smile appeared on his lips. He carefully lifted the fallboard to reveal the glossy white and black keys only to glide his left hand over the buttons just enough to feel the smooth surface without making a sound, "It's funny… I don't play, but I still feel an attachment to this piano. I've watched my grandmother play many times on this… If you play, you have to promise to be careful with it." He had memories with this piano, and the last thing he wanted was for it to be damaged.

Evan's green eyes flickered with happiness as he watched Aiden's hand trail along the keys. "Trust me, I have experience with pianos. There is just one thing I'm uncertain about though…" he remarked as he reached out to press the middle C of the keyboard. Shocked by the purity of the sound, Evan's eyes lifted to meet with Aiden's as his eyebrows knit together to express his confusion, "How is it still in tune? You said it's been down here for years in this basement. I assume you had someone tune it recently?"

"Ah, yeah… My grandmother sends someone every month to tune it. He's a great guy, too. He likes to play a few songs when he's finished with his work, and he's a pretty good player." Aiden replied, happy to have thought of his memories with the tuning man.

 _He is kidding right? Tuning is expensive as hell!_ It could cost anywhere between $100-$200 in some cases, depending on the condition of the piano of course. Aiden's grandmother had to be rich to be paying for all these funds, and considering this house, his parents had to be as well… Right? _Of course, this is just speculation…_ Evan eyed Aiden for a moment, but he soon returned his attention to the piano and took a seat on the stool, "I'm a little rusty, so…" he trailed off, uncertain as to whether or not his playing would be any good. He hesitantly lifted his hands to the piano's keyboard, allowed his fingers to brush over the keys just to get a feel for them, and then finally began playing. His hands were shaky at first, but the more he played, the more he eased into the song, which was a piece called "Maybe" by Yiruma. This was always one of his favorites to play, and because he was so accustomed to it, he didn't even hesitate in any of the notes, though it had been such a long time. The song just flowed from his fingertips with almost no effort at all.

Aiden actually was not surprised by Evan's piano skills now that he was finally hearing him play… Once he was told he had experience with the piano and all of Evan's excitement came out about it, he expected his playing to be quite superb. And he wasn't wrong. He watched quietly to Evan's right, though he gave him some space. When he noticed Jin, Damien, and Andy coming down the basement stairs, he raised his right index finger to his lips to request silence for the duration of the song but also gestured for them to approach and join their company. -

As the others followed Aiden down to the basement, Rapmon pulled Rhodon aside and gestured for him to follow him to the back bedroom for a chat. He closed the door once Rhodon entered and then gently offered him a pat on the shoulder, scanning him over to make sure that his gut was telling him the right thing. Once his eyes returned to Rhodon's questioning face, he finally posed the question that had been lingering in his mind since Rhodon had returned from his phone call, "What's going on? That phone call wasn't just someone calling to talk about good times, was it?"

Rhodon was confused at first as to why Rapmon was leading him away from the others, but now it most certainly made sense… _How did he know the phone call was so serious?_ He had tried his best to resume being himself, but perhaps he didn't do as good a job at it as he thought he had… His confused smile faltered into a frown as he exhaled a deep sigh and allowed his back to rest against the wall adjacent to the door, "Nothing gets past you, huh?" he allowed a scoff to escape his lips and just a glimpse of a smile to appear until it returned to his frown, "It was just my dad. You know, the usual stuff that people deal with- parents fighting, being stuck in the middle of it all. It's no big deal… Of course, it's not the greatest thing to hear, but it's nothing new. I'm sure you've experienced it a lot yourself," he replied, avoiding going into too much detail about the matter. He and Rapmon were close, but he didn't feel ready to explain a great amount of his personal life with him. Rapmon was much more open than he was about his life, "Speaking of which, did everything back home work out well over the summer? You had said something about working for the break…"

Rapmon leaned against the wall beside him as he listened to him speak, but he wasn't surprised by how little he decided to share with him. Rhodon didn't talk about his problems; he'd rather pretend that the problems didn't exist. While that was helpful in some ways, Rhodon also needed to know that keeping it inside his mind without venting was not healthy. Maybe he knew that, and he just wasn't ready to say anymore on the matter just yet… Hesitantly, Rapmon allowed Rhodon to drop the topic about himself and decided to discuss his own life without hesitation. He wasn't ashamed of who he was, even if he wished for more in his family. He only hoped that when he shared his life with Rhodon, one day he would understand that he was ready to listen to his life as well. "Yeah, I did end up working as a tutor over the summer, but I really just wanted to quit and allow myself free time to figure out my calling or whatever, you know? My parents were completely against it, saying that my siblings never took time off so selfishly, or that they didn't need time off to figure out what they were going to do in life. They weren't happy that I was trying to change the plan they have for me, you know? Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the path they've laid out for me, but I want control over my own life. The fact that I have to adhere to their standards and my siblings' successes is just… well, you know. It's bullsh*t, that's what it is. Plain and simple. Where they see my success, I see someone I don't want to be. I guess that's why when I come here, I do what I want. I'll dye my hair, I'll wear my own style, I'll even become a couch potato if I want to. Thing is, I'm not going to spend 24 hours a day studying when I find something else more important. I'm going to follow my own dream, not some dream that my parents, siblings, friends, or this college are going to throw on me. So, take that as my advice as well. You're obviously dealing with something at home that you really can't do anything about. So find a way to make a difference and focus on whatever your dream is, but don't lock yourself in a cage because of whatever's on your mind. Spend your time worrying about something you can actually change and make a difference in."

A smile tugged at the corners of Rhodon's lips by the time Rapmon finished his little spiel, and though he was appreciative of his advice, he couldn't help but make a remark about something that was far from serious, "Even after a year, I still have no idea how you speak the way you do. I can't believe you said you could be a couch potato!" he laughed, "I don't understand why you sound more American than some Americans I've met!"

Rapmon glanced in Rhodon's direction and offered a disappointed stare of sorts, "Seriously? Out of all that, you're questioning how I speak?" He shook his head and looked away as he did so, "I've done a lot of research on English and American slang, and I have many American friends. I practiced a lot, is all… Did you even listen to what I said?"

"Of course I listened! And I definitely agree with you. Always put work into what's most important to you. That's the general theme of your message, right? I got it. Trust me, I'm not spending any of my time wasting away on a major I don't find interest in. I know with your family situation you may not see a way to be who you really are, but you know what, Hiroshi… I have a good feeling about our housemates. Even with as awkward as you are, you'll fit in just fine." He joked a little as he nudged Rapmon's arm with his elbow. "Thanks for checking up on me, though. You're right… I shouldn't blame myself for what's going on between my parents, and that's been keeping me caged up for a while, so to speak. Let's just be ourselves, shall we?" he grinned as he pulled himself away from the wall and placed his hand on the door handle, "Oh, and uh… why don't you try talking more with the others? We're all awkward here at the moment, so before everyone beats you to it, you might want to make yourself as comfortable as possible." he suggested as he opened the door at last and gestured for Rapmon to exit the room first.

After nearly an hour of playing the piano, Evan finally allowed himself to part from the instrument. With his attention turned to his housemates now, he noticed that all of them were on the floor nearby simply listening to him play, which honestly surprised him. He expected for them to get bored and to leave him here in the basement, and he barely even noticed their presence at all. Most of them clapped for him once he was done, but Damien didn't even move a muscle. The poor kid was slumped against the nearby wall, leaning on his backpack fast asleep. Evan wasn't sure as to whether or not he should take offense by this or not…

"Bravo! You were so awesome! Teach me!" Aiden piped up from his spot on the floor as they clapped for him.

"You already quit your lessons, Aiden. You can't just ask him to teach you when you gave up in the first place. How does he know you won't just give up again?" Andy remarked with a grin as he playfully nudged his friend. His eyes averted towards Evan, and with a thumbs up, he thanked him for the performance, "He's right; you play very well. I'm sure Damien didn't mean to fall asleep, so I wouldn't worry about that."

Jin nodded in agreement with Andy as he looked over at Damien, "He's still adjusting to the time difference, which is probably another reason as to why he was up so late last night and slept in. He's a few hours ahead in England." he stated as he stood up and brushed off his shorts, "How long have you been playing, Evan?" he asked as he approached Damien.

Evan frowned anxiously, uncertain as to how to take all of this praise; he definitely wasn't use to it. He had also completely forgotten about the time difference in Damien's country, so he could let it go just this once perhaps. "I've been playing on and off for nearly 8 years now. I taught myself and stuck to it for a few years, but stuff got in the way a lot of the time…" he replied as he watched Jin shake Damien's shoulder.

Damien didn't respond for a few seconds, but after a couple more shakes, he slowly came to and opened his eyes, allowing his face to distort into a confused expression. Why was Jin bothering him? Was he asleep? He couldn't remember what was going on at this moment… He observed his surroundings only to realize he was still in the basement with the others, which actually explained a lot! He didn't remember going to bed, so this should have been where he woke up! Phew, he wasn't completely losing it…"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep…" he yawned as he rubbed his eyes. He moved to stand up, aided by Jin's hand. "Your playing is quite beautiful," Damien commented, looking to Evan finally.

"That's all right; I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes." Evan replied as he followed Aiden and Andy up the stairs to return to the living room. "In fact, I could use a nap right about now…" he muttered to himself as they passed through the garage.

"Do you have narcolepsy?" Aiden asked, overhearing him due to how close in front of him he was. He couldn't help but ask because of how many times he'd seen him take a nap. He slept before Andy and his family came, during The Lion King, and now he wanted to do it again! He hoped it wasn't something serious…

Evan chuckled at Aiden's remark, finding his concern slightly humorous because his napping had nothing to do with any illness at all! "No, I don't have narcolepsy. I just enjoy sleep," he answered simply as they joined Rapmon and Rhodon on the couch once more. Why didn't they come down with them? For some reason, he couldn't help but take their decision to remain upstairs a little personally. Maybe they didn't care too much for piano, though… _Who knows._

"If you say so…" Aiden responded uncertainly, though he mostly believed him. He was glad to hear that he was obsessed with sleep rather than being sick or something. He'd never seen someone sleep so much honestly. "You break out of that habit during school, right? I mean, I'm sure teachers would notice you sleeping all the time…"

"Aiden, I wouldn't worry about it. I've already been going to this college for a year now; I know how to work around my schedule." Evan replied as his eyes fixed their attention on Rhodon. Earlier during Lion King he had left with a phone call, and when he returned, something seemed slightly off once he sat down on the couch. It was only for a few seconds, but Rhodon acted strangely compared to how he had seen him these past two days. He decided not to worry about it and just brush it off, however, because now he seemed just fine. It might have been nothing at all, and if not, well… It wasn't exactly his business.

"Speaking of habits…" Jin remarked as he nudged Damien's arm, "You have to be in that ceremony tomorrow right? You know, walking the British flag around with all of the other countries' flags?"

Damien felt content just listening to the conversation, but Jin's transition over to him made him confused… What did walking the flag have to do with habits? "Uh, yeah… I think so. I received an email about that. Why do you ask?"

"Well… I'm pretty sure that all of us have noticed that you haven't separated from that backpack of yours since your arrival. I mean… you can't take it with you during the ceremony. So you'll have to leave it here at the house or at least leave it with us while the ceremony proceeds." Jin commented as he pointed at the backpack that remained strapped around his shoulders.

Damien's lips fell into a frown when Jin informed him that he was unable to take his backpack with him. He hadn't even considered that! He didn't want to leave his backpack alone… _Someone could steal it or take any of its contents. This is all I have!_ No way could he just leave it sitting around or in the hands of mere acquaintances! His eyes fell to the ground in front of him as he nervously gripped the straps of his backpack. He really did not want to separate from it…

Jin didn't understand why Damien was so attached to his backpack, but he could probably make a few wild guesses… Considering the foreign country and the strangers he was surrounded by, it was definitely possible he thought his belongings would be stolen by someone if he let it out of his sight or out of touch. Perhaps it was like a safety net for him; he was attached to it because it was the only thing he had from back home. Either way, Damien needed to separate from it; he couldn't always have it with him, and he was certain he was aware of that even before he mentioned the ceremony. An individual just cannot always bring such things with them. Wait a minute… did he even have his textbooks yet? If so, where were they? They couldn't all be in his backpack! Well… that was a question for later. "Listen… Let me carry your backpack with me. Just for the remainder of the night. You can keep an eye on me if you'd like, but I think this will help you get use to not having it with you. You can trust me." he suggested, hoping to make it easier on him.

"What? All night?" Damien repeated, not particularly liking the sound of the idea. He was beginning to like Jin, but could he really trust him for that long?

"We can keep him in check for you as well. If we see him do anything fishy, we'll let you know. There's six of us living here with you; one of us is bound to be trustworthy, if not all of us. Give it a try." Rapmon added in to assist Jin in the matter.

As much as he hated to admit it, Rapmon was right… He needed to put a little trust in at least one of them, and he had no choice but to get use to leaving his backpack at home or leaving it with someone. With a deep sigh, he finally nodded in response and pulled his arms out of the straps of the backpack only to hand it over to Jin and watched as he lifted the bag onto his own back. It was honestly a relief to rid himself of the weight on his back, but it also made him anxious to see someone else with his possessions.

Jin stood up and adjusted the straps on his shoulders before turning to look at Damien once more, "This is heavier than it looks. I mean, it's light for me, but not as light as I had expected. Anyway, I'm going to start on dinner, so I'll be in the kitchen." Without another word on the matter, he left the company of the housemates and made his way to the kitchen where he began setting up to cook the meal.

Damien's eyes followed Jin out of the living room, and for a while, he didn't once look away because he was able to see him from where he sat on the couch. As a sixteen-year-old, he felt childish acting like this… He was positive the others didn't understand why he was so attached to his backpack like some kid and his blanket. Perhaps he really was like a child in that way, but he couldn't help it. Since before he could remember, the line always seemed to be blurred between what was his and what wasn't. Often things would be given to him but then taken away not long after. The only things he knew were actually his was everything in that backpack, which consisted mostly of clothing and other necessities.

"Damien." Rapmon shook his shoulder to grab his attention, "Do you like skateboarding? If so, why don't we go around the neighborhood a bit? Rhodon's been keeping my skateboard here while I've been in Japan, so you can try mine out. Don't you have your own as well, Rhodon?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah I do. I actually left them in the trunk of my car, so I'll go grab them real quick." Rhodon replied as he jumped from his seat and hurried out to the garage.

"You skateboard, too? Yeeees!" Aiden said excitedly as he also jumped from his spot on the couch and rushed to his room to grab his own skateboard. He hadn't gone skateboarding in so long!

"It's too bad I don't have mine from home, otherwise I would join in." Evan commented with a slight frown. He liked skateboarding enough, but it's not like he loved it or anything. It was just something to do to pass the time or to get around town faster, but with a group of people, it could probably be more fun.

"The three of you can share our boards, no problem. Come on, let's go." Rapmon insisted with a grin and headed for the door, waving for the others to join him. "Andy, Damien, have you ever skateboarded before?" he asked as he held the door open for all of them to exit the house.

Damien took one last look over at Jin, who offered him a smile and a gesture to leave with them, and then he stepped out of the door after Andy and Evan, "No, I've never tried it, but I've wanted to. I've seen a few people ride on them in Liverpool, but most people ride bicycles."

Andy nodded as though he agreed with what Damien said, "I've never skateboarded before either. I'm really excited to try it out though!" he responded as he watched Rhodon swerve into the driveway. Apparently he had had enough time to ride a few seconds on the board before they exited the house.

"Here's yours." Rhodon said as he came to a stop, placed one foot onto the pavement, and then handed Rapmon his skateboard that he had carried in his arm. "Let's get started then, huh? Who wants to go first?" he asked Andy and Damien. He wanted to give them the first chance so they could experience it.

Andy looked to Damien, who gestured for him to be the first, so he went ahead and stepped up to Rhodon to indicate that he would be going first, "We're not going to get ourselves hit by a car right?" he joked nervously as he glanced at the street to make sure no automobiles were in sight.

Rhodon laughed at his comment and patted his shoulder to give him some comfort and then offered his arm for support in case he needed it, "Hold onto my arm or shoulder if you think you're going to fall." he said as he watched him place his feet on the board, "Okay, so both of your feet are facing towards me… Right position, yeah… Uh… Place your left foot a little farther towards the front of the board… yeah, like that. Okay, Chim Chim, so this is how you stand on your board."

Jimin eyed Rhodon with confusion as he stood carefully on the board and used Rhodon's left shoulder to help keep himself balanced. "Chim Chim?" Did he really just call him that? He was mostly confused because he wasn't sure where he was getting the name from, but also because they just met and all of a sudden he had a nickname for him! _Is that… normal?_ He wasn't certain…

"You're okay if I call you that now and then, right? Honestly that's the first name that pops into my head sometimes when I try and remember your name. It's because when Aiden was first telling us about you, he couldn't pronounce your last name and ended up just saying 'Chimchim,' so it kind of just stuck." Rhodon explained just as Aiden joined their presence.

"It wasn't intentional; I just really couldn't pronounce it." he added in to defend himself. It was an Italian name that he had never seen before, so of course he wouldn't know how to pronounce it!

Andy laughed in response as he came to an understanding, finding the nickname to be quite amusing anyways, "Call me whatever you want; just know that I can't promise to respond to it." It wasn't a big deal to him having strange nicknames, just as long as they weren't insults. Then again, people who usually gave him insulting nicknames weren't the type to ask if he was okay with them. He appreciated the fact that Rhodon asked him for permission, though he was positive most people didn't ask such a thing. "Okay, so I just push off right?" he asked, returning his attention back to the skateboarding.

"Yeah sort of… First, make sure your dominant foot is in the front, slightly diagonal and facing forward. Figure out what stance is most comfortable to you, but you'll find that the more you practice. So how about this… I'll run next to you once you push off, just in case you fall. To stop, position your front foot sideways and then put pressure on the back of the skateboard with your other foot until you come to a stop. Oh, and to turn, also put pressure on the back to lift up the front and use your upper body to create momentum and complete the turn." Rhodon instructed him. "All right, so you ready?"

Andy nodded and released Rhodon's shoulder when he was ready to start. He positioned himself as explained by Rhodon and then finally pushed off. At first, he was wobbling on the board a little, but with Rhodon at his side to make sure he didn't fall, he felt a little more confident than he would otherwise and began to control his direction a little better.

"Nice! Just keep it steady!" Aiden exclaimed before he turned to Evan, "I don't suppose you'd want to run after anybody right? Here, take my board. I'll just watch." he offered as he handed the skateboard to him and then stepped to the side.

"You're sure? All right then. Thanks," Evan replied as he took it gratefully. He didn't move just yet though… He wanted to see how Damien was going to do on his first try.

"All right, so you listened to Rhodon's explanation, right?" Rapmon asked Damien as he placed his skateboard down on the ground for Damien to place his foot on. Once he received a nod, he watched as Damien adjusted his dominant foot into position and then pushed off without any hesitation. He was obviously eager to ride, but Rapmon wasn't ready to run after him just yet! "Hey, you might fall you know!" he exclaimed as he rushed after him, nearly tripping over his own feet as he did so.

Damien knew he was being a little reckless for someone who had never ridden a skateboard before, but watching Andy ride it made him even more excited to try it out. Similar to Andy, he fumbled at first as he tried to catch his balance, but the more he thought about Rhodon's instructions, the more he allowed himself to test things out. Rapmon eventually caught up, but he didn't completely feel the need to have him at his side. He was enjoying himself!

"Watch out, watch out, watch out!" Rhodon exclaimed to Andy when he noticed his footing was getting off and the curb was coming up.

Unfortunately, Andy wasn't able to correct himself before the curb, and instead of allowing something to happen, he jumped off and slowed himself down quickly before going after the skateboard. With the board in hand, he took a few deep breaths to slow his breathing because his adrenaline had been triggered slightly. "Whoops." he laughed a little as he turned to Rhodon whose breathing was also more labored due to his running and his fear for Aiden, "I couldn't figure out how to fix it in time, sorry." he apologized as he rubbed the back of his head and handed the board back, "Here, I'd like to watch you for a bit to see what you do."

"You sure? Okay, if you say so. Honestly, you really just needed to turn your front foot a little straighter when you were trying to speed up." Rhodon replied as he set the skateboard down and hopped on without a problem, "I'm actually not very good at skateboarding yet. I've only learned the basics, nothing really more." he said before pushing off slowly to allow Andy to jog beside him.

Meanwhile, Evan had already hopped onto Aiden's board after watching Damien's start, and he was calmly traveling behind him and Rapmon, though he didn't pay all that much attention to them. His eyes were lifted to the sky as he allowed the wind to freely blow through his blonde hair, making him feel practically weightless. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he finally glanced over at Damien who had finally come to a stop to allow Rapmon a turn on his board. Out of curiosity to see Rapmon skateboard, he came to a stop, picked up his board, and then looked on as Damien happily handed the board to its owner.

"I'm a little rusty, so don't expect much from me. I'm not really much of a skateboarding person." Rapmon said as he stepped onto the board and pushed off. He sped up as the street began to straighten out and easily maneuvered himself onto the sidewalk before allowing himself to jump off of the curb for some air time. As soon as he landed, however, one of his wheels began to wobble, and he was quick to hop off the board before he fell off involuntarily, "Man, is this thing screwing up again?" he asked himself as he picked the board up and inspected the front wheels.

"Are you breaking it again already? You just had that fixed before you left for Japan!" Rhodon complained as he came to a stop just beside Rapmon, "I swear you aren't meant to own anything." he joked as he looked over at Andy and Damien, "You guys can trade off on my board if you'd like. Let's ride around the neighborhood a little longer so the two of you have more of a chance at it." he suggested.

Damien eagerly nodded, but Andy seemed to be a little uncertain, "I dunno, I think I'll watch how they skateboard and try again later." he decided as he stepped aside to gesture for Damien to go ahead and use the skateboard. He hoped Rhodon's wheel wouldn't falter like Rapmon's did…

"I had it fixed a week before I left, so it's had plenty of time for it to act up. The wheel is probably falling off because you used it so much this summer." Rapmon defended himself against Rhodon even though he had already moved past the conversation.

"Why would he use your skateboard when he's got his own?" Evan asked with a raised eyebrow, rather amused by the situation.

"Point exactly." Rhodon pointed towards Evan and gave Rapmon a nod, "Even he knows that makes no sense." he grinned before turning back to Damien, "Alright, go ahead and- Oh, he's already started." he said as he watched Damien skateboard down the remainder of the street. "Well, I'm gonna go catch up with him in case he hits something or falls." And with that, he hurried off after Damien and his skateboard.

45 minutes or so passed and the boys returned to the house to see if dinner was finally ready. They had accidentally been gone longer than expected because they had even left the neighborhood for more skateboarding practice, and now that their minds were no longer so distracted, they were starving! Jin had only just finished cooking by the time they had gotten back, so luckily for them they didn't have to wait long for their meal at all. The rest of the night was then spent playing video games or speaking to one another.

The following morning, the entire household basically slept in until 10:30 a.m. and would have slept in even more if it wasn't for Andy's parents' expected arrival. Andy was to spend the remainder of the day with his parents up until the freshman orientation activities began. Most of the freshman were moving into their dorms by now, but because Aiden, Andy, and Damien were already set on their place to live, all they had to do was receive the P.O. box information from C.P.O, where mail is delivered and received, and then retrieve their school-provided laptops from the library. Everything had to be done by 1:30, which was when freshman would be introduced to their advisors and GSTR classmates at the quad, a wide open space in front of the library. After saying goodbye to Andy and his parents, the others accompanied Damien in attending the practice ceremony, which was for participating faculty and students representing different countries to find where they retrieve their flags and what position and order they stand in (of course the group just stood outside the building to wait for him so as not to be awkward).

After the practice, the group walked the freshman next door to the library to receive their computers, which took nearly an hour due to lines and tutorials given by student workers. Once that deed was done, they all walked across the campus to Woods-Penn, which stood practically right next to the Alumni building. The group descended the stairs to the bottom floor of Woods-Penn to reach CPO and retrieve the freshmen's PO boxes and lock combinations. By now it was reaching 1:15 p.m., so they hurried back to the quad where several people were already gathering among the lawn chairs, positioned in circles to encourage socialization among students with the same assigned advisors and GSTR professors.

"Alright, here's where you separate and find your advisors. We'll-" Jin cut himself off when Aiden's hand went up to signal that he had something to say. Was he not ready to leave yet or something? All this time he thought Aiden was a really outgoing person who enjoyed meeting new people and making friends…

"Wait. Before we separate, you guys have got to meet my mom. She's over there!" Aiden insisted as he pointed to the steps of the library past all of the people. "Come on, I'm sure she's excited to meet all of you. It's too bad Andy's not with us to meet her, but he'll meet her eventually." he said as he led the group through the crowded area until they joined his mother's company. Aiden looked as though he was ready to hug her as soon as they came into a close proximity, but before he could, her arms were already being thrown around him.

"Hi, pumpkin~! It's so good to see you! Are you enjoying your time at the house with your new friends?" Aiden's mother asked as she beamed with joy at the sight of her son. She was 5'5" tall, which made her shorter than Aiden by three inches, and her brown hair only barely touched her shoulders. She was of an average body weight, and the signs of age were only barely creeping into her face.

"I've missed you, and it's only been three days! I'm really having fun though. These are some of my new housemates!" Aiden replied as he stepped aside to point at each of them and inform her of their names. Each of them nodded in her direction and shook her hand once their names were called, some of them more thrilled looking than others.

"They all look so nice and dressed up… What fine young men. Especially you, in your suit! I didn't expect anyone to be so fancy to this ceremony; did I underdress?" She asked as she eyed Damien, who was surprised and anxious to be the most outstanding as far as outfits goes in the group. Ms. Valentine was wearing a black dress that wasn't particularly fancy at all but was suitable for an occasion such as this, or so she thought.

"Mom, you look fine. He's just dressed like that because he's representing his country by walking the British flag in the ceremony." Aiden replied with a laugh, "I mean, the rest of us are even less underdressed than you are compared to Damien." All of the rest of the boys were wearing polo shirts and jeans once again to appear nice enough for the occasion but not to where they were uncomfortable.

"Really? What a relief!" Ms. Valentine commented as she returned her eyes to Damien, "So you're from England, huh? What's it like over there compared to America?" she asked him curiously, all too pleased to be meeting all of Aiden's new friends.

Damien gulped and took a step back in response, obviously nervous from being questioned all of a sudden. What was she even asking him? He couldn't focus on her words because he was too focused on keeping away from her. She was so… so outgoing and friendly that he had no idea how to react! Aiden didn't even come across this way when they first met. "Um…" He couldn't get any words out!

"Mom, mom, he's… he's not really good with people. He's a little shy, you know?" Aiden informed her once he saw the shocked look upon Damien's face. He rubbed the back of his head and offered his housemate an apologetic look, but all too soon, his mother was grabbing Damien's cheek!

"How adorable~! Sorry about that, hon. I'm a bit too much of a people person, I suppose." She apologized before pulling away from him cheerfully.

Damien tried to avoid her hand as she reached for him, but because he hadn't expected it, she was able to get a hold of his left cheek and play with it before his dodge was complete. What was she doing? He could feel the heat rising in his face…

Evan winced as he watched Ms. Valentine pinch Damien's cheek, and he even cast a sour glance in their direction. The poor guy… he was shy enough without her touching his face! He hated it when people pinched his cheeks, too, so he could only imagine how he felt!

Rapmon waited for her to pull away before offering Damien a pat on his upper back to offer his condolences for the situation, but his attention was pulled away once he too was addressed.

"Hiroshi, is it? You must be… the one from South Korea? Or is it Japan?" she asked. Aiden had told her a little bit of information about his housemates, but she didn't exactly have faces to fit the information…

"Uh, not Korea. Japan." Rapmon replied. It's not that he had an issue with Korea and its people or anything… He just had a bit of pride as a Japanese individual- pride in his country. He didn't think he was better, but for some reason, he was brought up being taught that Japanese and Koreans simply don't get along. He didn't agree this, but at the same time, sometimes it was hard for him to climb over that barrier between the cultures. Meeting Jin and holding conversations with him was definitely opening his eyes, which he was grateful for; he was actually beginning to speak of the differences between the countries as a sort of joke now and then to bug Jin.

"Oh, I see… Sorry about that. What's Japan like?"

"Mom, sorry to interrupt, but we've got to go. You can stand near my group, but I have to sit with my new classmates and my advisor." Aiden interrupted hesitantly. His mother was so interested in meeting his new friends, and he understood that. The thing is… they were hurting for time! "You can talk to them while we're waiting for the ceremony to start later."

"Oh, all right. It was nice meeting you boys!" Ms. Valentine bid them farewell before following after Aiden to find his advisor.

Once they were out of earshot, the remaining members of the group all released a sigh of relief. "Man, oh man… I see where Aiden gets it from. He's like the spitting personality of his mother." Rapmon commented with a small chuckle.

"Yeah… scary." Evan remarked with a shudder. He had to admit though… she seemed nice- like a good mother. Perhaps she came off a little strong, but more than likely she wasn't all that bad. Sort of like Aiden… He himself just wasn't use to such enthusiasm.

"I agree that she and Aiden are similar, but I like her. She was very peppy." Rhodon commented with a smile as he watched the two of them leave. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so comfortable with an adult.

Jin grinned at their remarks and looked over at Damien, "You ready to meet even more people now?" he knew that Aiden's mother sort of crossed his boundaries, but he had plenty more uncomfortable situations to get through today.

Damien quickly shook his head in response, but he knew he had no choice. He had to join the huge crowd of people… Who was his advisor again? His eyes glanced over the sea of people uncertainly, hoping the name would come to his mind as soon as possible.

"Come on, I'll go with you to find your advisor. Do you remember who it is?" Rhodon asked as he gestured for Damien to join him in the search. The two of them maneuvered through the chairs, trees, and people in search for the signs with the names of the advisors on them.

"I'm not… really sure. I think I remember it starting with an A…" Damien replied as he spotted a few signs here and there with none of the names ringing a bell.

"Ouch… This is going to be tough then. Okay… is it that one? … No? Okay, that one? No? Hmm… I don't see another- oh! How about that one?" Rhodon was pointing out every sign he could see to try and help Damien recall the name to his memory, but it took him at least five tries before Damien recalled the name.

"Ah! Arther Mathis. That was his name." Damien said as he pointed at the sign that stood out of the ground several yards away. He honestly had almost wished that he hadn't found the name so that he wouldn't have to socialize, but at the same time, he wouldn't want to be in that kind of a sticky situation either. He and Rhodon made their way over to the circle of students that sat around the sign, and as soon as they reached the area, Rhodon pulled Damien aside one last time to give him a bit of advice.

"Okay, so this is it. All you need to do is smile and greet people. Be confident. Hold eye contact if possible. It's always best to stay on the cheery side; people are less likely to talk to you if you don't give off the right vibe. You've got this." Rhodon said before giving him a thumbs up and abandoning his housemate in the circle.

"W-Wait-" Damien frowned as he watched Rhodon leave. He was quick to realize that there were already a few people watching him because Rhodon had left him directly in the middle of that circle. Smile? Greet people? No way! People won't talk to him if he doesn't give off the right vibe? Great! That's exactly what he wanted. Avoiding all of the eyes that seemed to follow him, he sat himself down in one of the vacant lawn chairs that had no one occupying the neighboring seats. He kept his gaze lowered and nervously tapped his fingers on his knees as he awaited further instructions from his advisor, who he had yet to see. Several minutes passed, which seemed like hours to him as he listened to the many conversations surrounding him. Most people around him were introducing themselves, their intended major, and their interests, but he was grateful that he was being left out of it. It was nice that the exact opposite of Rhodon's advice was working in his favor…

Hesitantly, Damien lifted his eyes to finally allow himself to take a look around the area and see the different students in other circles- of course he didn't dare make eye contact with anyone in his own. Not too far away in another circle of students, he spotted many individuals holding a conversation together, some standing and some sitting. However, one student stood out to him; some guy with reddish-brown, short hair whose gaze at the ground showed no implication that he wanted to be involved at all. He seemed to be just as uncomfortable as Damien himself was, and for some reason, that made a small smile make its way onto Damien's lips. Of course he didn't like the idea of someone else feeling uncomfortable or anxious, but he felt more at ease by the fact that he wasn't the only one feeling that way.

"Hey, my name is Ashley! It's nice to meet you; what's your name?" A girl came out of nowhere and completely disrupted Damien's thoughts, his eyes widening at the sight of her. He stood up with a jolt and tried to back away from her, only to stumble over the same chair he had been sitting in. He probably would have fallen if Andy hadn't hurried over to help him back up.

"Whoa, hey, what's going on? You all right?" Andy promptly questioned his housemate. He was making his way over just as the situation had begun, and frankly, he was confused… All the girl did was say 'hi'. He studied Damien's facial expression for a moment before looking back at the girl apologetically, "Sorry, he uh… he's kind of had a bad day, and I don't think social interactions are the best for him right now. He's a bit on edge because… lack of sleep. Yeah." he nodded as if to confirm his own statement, but he actually had no idea why Damien acted in such a way.

"Oh, sorry. Introductions can always be done later then; we are in the same class after all." The brunette replied as she offered Damien and Andy a small wave so she could return to her seat and meet other classmates.

Damien waited for her to sit down before heaving a sigh of relief and sitting down again, all to thankful to Andy for interrupting them and basically saving his life. As Andy took a seat beside him, he glanced in his direction, "Thanks… I'm not very good at socializing so…" he trailed off as he caught Andy's facial expression. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"What? I can't smile? Does my smiling make you nervous?" Andy laughed as he nudged his arm gently, "I'm just messing with you. I'm honestly just glad that we're in the same class. You may not be good at socializing with people, but I think you will be eventually. It takes time if you're not use to it." he assured him, "So why don't we practice? So pretend I'm a stranger. I mean, a complete stranger." he suggested as he held out his hand for a handshake, "You introduce yourself first."

Damien knit his eyebrows together as he hesitantly took hold of his hand and shook it. What was he suppose to say? "Um… It's a pleasure to meet you. I am majoring in chemistry. I think… I enjoy art and Pokemon as well." he said uncertainly. He had no idea what else to say, so he just sputtered the last bit out, "It's um… a pleasure."

Andy remained serious for as long as possible, but he seriously couldn't hold in his laughter. "Yeah, yeah, that's good!" he cackled as he released the handshake and hit his own knee to express how funny he found the situation, "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, it's just… You left out the most important part! It's a pleasure to meet you, but I still don't know your name." he continued to laugh, even though he was trying his best to suppress it. After a few deep breaths, he finally calmed down and grinned in Damien's direction, "Geez… also, people don't really talk like you did. Usually they start with a subtle hello, say their name, and say 'it's nice to meet you,' or something like that. It sounds like they are also introducing their majors during the introduction, but with the people I've spoken with, they don't usually say their interests unless they are interested in carrying on the conversation with you. If you don't want a conversation, just end it with your major." he suggested. "Speaking of which… I'm going to start talking to our classmates now. Why don't you join me?" Before even receiving an answer, he grabbed hold of Damien's hand to pull him out of the chair and then patted him on the back for encouragement. He knew Damien probably wouldn't ever get to know his classmates if he wasn't forced into it.

Meanwhile, the four upperclassmen that were only there to support their three freshman housemates were gathered at the refreshment table, where the only drink options were either lemonade or water. With Evan being the only one of the four grabbing lemonade, they all made their way across the quad to sit on the library steps and watch all of the freshmen interact with each other. Evan's facial expression revealed his disgust for his drink once he had taken a sip, and he couldn't help but comment on it as his eyes continued to search the quad for something entertaining, "Ah… Why is this so tart and sweet? A more important question… why do I always choose the lemonade when I know I'm always going to have the same reaction?" he shook his head and sighed as if he was annoyed himself.

"That's called insanity, according to Einstein-doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Rapmon commented as he chuckled at Evan's complaints.

Evan gave Rapmon an unamused glance and then returned his eyes to the quad, having no interest in discussing science at the moment. "...Why are we here again? I didn't even want to attend this last year when I was actually a freshman…"

Jin smiled only slightly in response to Evan's question as he tried to find a way of explaining his reasoning to him. Once he was ready to speak, he cleared his throat and eyed all three of them for a moment before looking to the many circles of freshmen and pointing at the area, "Obviously, you see all the freshmen and remember quite well being in their shoes and wondering where you were suppose to go. Because all of you live so far away, I assume none of you had your parents with you to support you during this event, just as I didn't. As much as I'm sure you don't want to admit it, it must have hurt, right? A big moment like this… entering a college where you might discover who you are, a college that is so far away from home that you may go an entire year before seeing your family again, if not longer. This day is the day parents say farewell to their sons and daughters and tell them how proud they are of them to be making such a big decision and tell them they will be missed and loved. When freshmen have their parents and friends here, they feel supported, uplifted, excited, and sometimes sad to be separating. But… what about those who have no one to be there for them? You all know how it felt… Even if your parents said farewell at the airport, I'm sure you still felt empty inside during the ceremony, didn't you? Some obviously feel worse than others depending on household affairs, but I'm sure most of us wish that our parents would have been at this ceremony. While you may have been taking a big step by attending this college, you probably wondered if your parents cared, if they were proud, if this was the best decision… People who don't have anyone to support them tend to be more doubtful and negative about themselves. They turn this exciting moment into a bad experience." he explained at length, obviously feeling deeply about the matter. He himself held no resentment towards his parents for their inability to be at the opening ceremony; he was very aware that if they could have attended it, they would have.

Rhodon's expression fell the longer Jin spoke and once his piece was done, he nodded in agreement, "Yeah… I remember when I left home that my dad was the only one who took me to the aiport to say goodbye. My family was going through a hard time, and none of them felt up to saying anything to me about leaving. No congratulations or anything. The entire plane ride and even the ceremony left me kind of depressed to be honest. I didn't feel as though I was accomplishing anything. I would have given anything to have felt supported at that time." he admitted.

Rapmon sighed as he searched the freshmen for Aiden, Andy, and Damien. His eyes caught sight of Aiden's mother taking pictures from a distance of Aiden, who was talking to some of the other students with that optimistic attitude of his. After searching a little more, he spotted Andy, who was interacting with fellow classmates as well, and then Damien, who was sitting down watching Andy at this point as if to learn something from his socializing. "Well… I see what you're trying to say, but the thing is… we don't know each other. How can they feel supported by us when we've only known each other for a day or two?"

"He's got a point… We may be here in an attempt to make them feel even more support than they already have, but they probably won't receive it at this point." Evan agreed with Rapmon. Jin's thoughts on the matter made sense, though… He recalled two nights ago when Damien stayed up for a majority of the night because of homesickness, and he wondered how he must be feeling even now… How could they do anything about it?

"You're right. We don't know each other very well right now. But, you never know what kind of impact you can make by doing something as simple as attending a ceremony for someone. If we all become good friends, don't you want them to be able to look back and remember that we were there supporting them all along?" Jin asked as he rested his elbows above his kneecaps so he could lean over just slightly. He knew all too well what loneliness felt like, and with his past experiences, he also knew how to ease it in some cases.

Rhodon was left amazed by Jin's comments… His goal was to be a counselor of sorts, and the fact that Jin was able to put himself in other people's shoes to try and better other people's lives made him excited and determined to be more mindful of such things as well. He was beginning to look up to Jin in a way…

Nearly 30 minutes passed before the freshmen took a picture together on the steps of the library and then were released back to their parents to spend their last hour and a half or so with them. After the ceremony was over, they wouldn't be allowed to see them again, so time was precious for many of the students. Damien watched from afar as Andy left the crowd to meet up with his parents, as many others did around him. He even spotted Aiden, whose smile couldn't even be missed from a mile away it seemed because he was so excited to speak to his mother about the people he's met. Damien's lips tugged into a small smile of its own simply because he was glad to see his new housemates happy, but inside he could feel his heart throbbing with pain that was all too familiar to him. He's felt this many times throughout his life, and every time he longed to be in someone else's shoes. He'd give anything for just one word of encouragement, one hug, anything from HIS parents, even if it was practically impossible. He didn't want to be here amongst these people, he didn't want to see any of this, and he didn't need to take part in it either. This opening ceremony was for families and friends…

With a sigh, Damien turned his back to the library and began his walk towards Phelps Stokes, the building diagonally to the right of the library where the ceremony would be held. He desperately wanted to walk this feeling off and was quite tempted to do just that and skip the ceremony altogether. College was suppose to be full of new experiences and opportunities, but he felt separated from it all. With Aiden and Andy occupied with their families, he was under the assumption that he was alone in all of this because even though the upperclassmen had discussed going to the event, he wasn't sure they actually would. With his hands stuffed into the pockets of the slacks Aiden let him borrow, he entered Phelps Stokes and promptly turned left to arrive in the main seating area.

"Damien! Hey!" Rhodon called out from behind him as he rushed into the room after him with the others close behind him, "Geez, what are you doing running off on your own? We were calling for you, did you not hear us?" he asked, obviously concerned.

Damien turned around as soon as he heard his name, confusion evident upon his face as all of the upperclassmen housemates came into view, "Uh… no. I didn't. I was just…" he shrugged, "Coming in here to wait for the ceremony to begin I guess. What are you guys doing here?"

"We told you we were coming, didn't we? We're here to watch you guys take your first steps as college freshmen." Jin replied cheerfully. Watching how Damien carried himself to the building was confirmation to him that he definitely didn't want to take part in any of this, which made him glad that he had stayed with the others. "Where are you sitting? The flag bearers have assigned seating, right?"

Damien nodded in response and pointed to the front rows of chairs in the left section of the sitting area, "I'm in the third row back, which is the last row on this side for the required seating. The others are set up on the other side." he replied. He still didn't quite understand why they were attending the ceremony, but somehow he felt kind of grateful. It couldn't just be because he was able to see his backpack again, right? He felt bad that Jin was carrying it everywhere today once the events started…

"Okay, then we'll sit right behind you." Evan informed him as he already moved to take his seat in the third row back and furthest right seat near the wall; he liked easy access to the exit. He gestured for them to join him and pointed for Damien to sit in front of him.

"Make sure we save enough seats for everyone; we'll probably take up almost the entire row, won't we? Six of us and three parents… That leaves maybe four seats left in the row?" Rapmon remarked as he removed the jacket he was wearing and placed it in the last chair they needed. The others helped in removing accessories of theirs to save seats and then sat themselves down to await the start of the ceremony. "By the way, Damien… I thought you should know, I was in the same spot you are right now when I was a freshman. I walked the flag of Japan, you know? And man, did I ruin everything. I accidentally tripped and fell on someone in front of me while we were lining up with our flags, and bam- three of us were on the ground trying to get up as fast as possible to avoid the inevitable embarrassment." Rapmon shook his head, "I don't think those two people forgave me either, now that I think about it…" he laughed a little.

Jin flashed the evil eye in Rapmon's direction, finding this information to be inappropriate at the moment. Couldn't he have saved this story for afterwards? "Was that really necessary?" a small laugh escaped his lips as he imagined the scenario, even though he tried to be serious. "Damien, you're not going to trip and fall like Rapmon did. I think it's becoming evident that he's a little accident prone." he assured him.

Damien nodded and offered a nervous smile in response while Rhodon and Evan laughed at the memory. "I totally forgot about that! That was hilarious! Actually, it was the only part of the ceremony that wasn't boring; you should do it on purpose Damien!" Rhodon commented.

"No, no, for real, you should try your best to concentrate and not fall on other people to spare yourself and others from the embarrassment." Rapmon laughed. "Jin's right, you'll be fine. I just wanted to share that story because there's no way anyone can do worse. It should make you feel better." he encouraged him.

More and more people began to file into the room, filling the seats quickly the closer the clock approached the starting time. Aiden, Andy, and their parents joined the boys just before the ceremony was to begin, and it seemed by this time that Aiden and Andy were very eager to get through the whole thing, even though they would more than likely miss their parents at least a little bit…

The ceremony began with several faculty members speaking about Berea College and its history of racial integration, the motto, etc. The president of the college spoke on about what Berea strives to do for students, what opportunities lie ahead for the freshmen, and basically everything that would assure parents that this college was going to serve their sons and daughters well. Because most of the speeches twenty minutes or so into it were speaking about parents and their connections with the students and how proud they should be, etc., Damien was quick to fall asleep where he sat with his head dangling down loosely; he had no desire to sit through something that would make ponder upon matters that would bring him down even more. Directly behind him, Evan began to snooze as well, striving to get his well-deserved, award-winning amount of sleep- well, perhaps he was just sleeping because it would make time go by faster. Jin shook his head once he noticed both of them were fast asleep, and he was half-tempted to wake them both up. In fact, he really considered doing so, but one thing held him back… Damien really didn't need to hear this whole spiel they were giving, and Evan had already heard it before. Why not let it be? Soon enough he, Aiden, Andy, Rhodon were the only ones awake out of all of the housemates. When it came close to time for the flag bearers to retrieve their countries' flags, Jin was quick to poke the back of Damien's head several times until he finally awoke, and he proceeded to wake up Evan and Rapmon as well. It was nearing the end anyways…

No mistakes were to be seen out of the entire ceremony, to Damien's great relief, and with everything finally out of the way, it was time for the parents and students to finally separate. Many tears were shed, mainly by Aiden and his mother, but it was an exciting moment for them all. At last, the students were all setting off on their own without any parental supervision, and the college experience was about to begin for all of the freshmen.


	8. Chapter 7: Independence

**Chapter 7: Independence**

 **(Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter published; I've been extremely busy! Thank you for sticking with it so far; I hope you enjoy it!)**

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"I remember walking through that wall of people," Evan said, reminiscing. "I always wondered why they were cheering me to my death." It was all Evan could think of after waking up only recently. He was completely bored of the ceremony, and by the time the end came, he was ready to complain about the amount of people and how he felt now that he had experienced that first year of college, "It's not too late to turn back, guys… Leave while you can. Don't walk in that tunnel of people. Oh, too late. Aiden, Andy, and Damien are coming guys," he commented with his lips pursed. So much for saving innocent lives…

As Evan had said, Aiden, Andy, and Damien were approaching them. Aiden seemed to be the saddest to be leaving his mom, waving to her as they parted. However, Andy was much more excited and didn't even look back to say farewell to his parents again; he felt that walking through the tunnel of people was one of those moments that an individual shouldn't look back to symbolize adulthood in some way.

"So, what happens now? We're supposed to have dinner with our advisors, right?" Andy asked as they joined the upperclassmen company. He liked his advisor thus far, so he really didn't mind eating with him and the other classmates. He was sure that Damien felt differently, though. Damien was completely uncomfortable with introducing himself and holding conversations with other people…

"That's right. We eat with our advisors, and then we're free to get some shopping done!" Aiden declared with his fists placed upon his hips, obviously excited about his plans.

"Shopping? Since when did we decide to go shopping? Aiden, we have enough food at the house you know. And we just said that you're eating dinner with your advisors. /You/ just said that," Evan replied, not particularly interested in participating in another shopping adventure of sorts. He really loathed grocery shopping…

"Did I say that we were shopping for food?" Aiden raised his eyebrows with a grin, "Andy and I had discussed getting him a haircut and all once he was separated from his parents, so he's got an appointment tonight. Also, Damien needs a phone, and we need to go clothes shopping. That's what we're doing tonight. You don't all have to come if you don't want to…"

Evan and Jin exchanged glances when Aiden finished explaining what he had already decided on doing, and with a heavy sigh, Evan agreed to accompanying the group, "Alright, alright, it's better than grocery shopping..." Aiden was obviously going to be disappointed if one of them didn't go along with the plan.

"There's a haircutting place open this late? Interesting… You don't suppose they take walk-ins, do you?" Rapmon asked curiously as he ran his right hand through his jet black hair. "I was thinking of dying my hair soon, and I might as well do it tonight if we're going there anyway."

Aiden gave a small shrug, "I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. This place is open later than most haircutting salons, and the later it is, I'm pretty sure less people go. I think you could get yours done."

Damien was completely confused by this point. Aiden explained the plan very well, but Damien had been given no knowledge about this plan at all. I'm getting a phone? "Uh… My apologies for interrupting, but you mentioned me getting a phone… I can't get a phone. They're expensive enough back home, so I'm sure they are just as expensive here. I don't have money for that."

Aiden waved his hand back and forth to dismiss what Damien had said. "Don't worry about it. I've got it covered. You need a phone so we can all keep in touch. Oh, speaking of which, the rest of you have phones, right?"

The others looked from one to the other, each of them nodding or giving proof of their mobile's existence before Aiden was positive Damien was the only one without one."Okay, so once we get Damien's, we'll all add each other's numbers. Oh, what time is it?" he asked himself as he reached into his jeans' pocket and checked the time on his iPhone 6s."We should get going. We'll see you guys later. Do you want to meet back at the house?" The upperclassmen all nodded in response."Great! I'll text Rhodon when we're done so you guys can be ready when we arrive." He informed them before bidding them all farewell and gesturing for Andy and Damien to follow after him.

While the freshman were eating with their advisors and their classmates, the upperclassmen were hanging around the house attempting to kill time. They waited at the house for an entire hour and a half before being notified by Aiden that their meetings with their advisors were finally over.

"Oh, hey. Aiden texted; guess we should grab our shoes and a jacket, huh?" Rhodon said, yawning at his seat on the couch. He looked over at Evan, who was fast asleep on the sofa next to him "Hey, Evan."

Jin cleared his throat when he overheard Rhodon, and he used his index finger to tap the side of his head as an indication that Rhodon needed to think about what he just said.

Rhodon offered Jin a confused glance, wondering what he had said wrong. It's not like he spat out a cuss word or anything, right? He had to ponder what words he used before finally realizing it wasn't about anything he said, but rather something he didn't say. "… Oh. Right…" He had totally forgotten that they were incorporating their Korean vocabulary already and were supposed to include formalities for those who were older in the household, "Hey, Hyung. Wake up, will ya?" he asked as he shook Evan's shoulder, "The others are going to be here soon, so we should probably go ahead and get in the car or something…" he stated before shaking his head as he returned his eyes to Jin. "Seriously, how does he sleep all the time? He slept during the ceremony, didn't he?" he asked as he even closed his eyes and cocked his head to the side to pretend to be Evan.

"You know… most people say things about other people before they wake them up so that whatever they have to say won't be overheard." Evan remarked without even moving a muscle in his eyelids. "Besides, I only slept ten minutes at the ceremony. Maybe fifteen. And I only fell asleep five minutes ago," he insisted as he finally sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"… Point taken. I apologize if I offended you," Rhodon commented uncertainly, suddenly regretting his comment. He hadn't meant to be mean or anything; he was really just commenting on it because he'd never seen someone nap so much. Even Aiden was wondering if he was sick, but Evan insisted that he simply loved sleep.

"Rhodon, how could I be offended when all you said was that I sleep all the time? I'd have to be really sensitive to be offended by something like that," Evan scoffed with a grin. To make sure his housemate would be confident that he took no offense, he even nudged his shoulder playfully, "You called me 'Hyung'; You gave him the look, didn't you Jin?" he chuckled before glancing at his other housemate who raised his eyebrows in response.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Jin asked as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and pretended to busy himself on the device to show Evan that he was going to ignore him.

Evan laughed and stood up, gesturing for Rhodon to follow suit. "You're serious about this whole thing, huh? Alright, I'll try my best to go along with it, but just remember, it takes a while to form things into a habit," he pointed out before pulling out his cell phone, "By the way, I'm assuming Aiden is planning on separating to do all this shopping stuff, so just in case, we should probably exchange all of our numbers and then just add Damien's later. That way we're not cramming to get everyone's numbers later. Here, Hyung, put yours in my phone," he said as he handed the device into Jin's hand. Jin in turn handed him his own phone for him to insert his number as well.

Rhodon was about to participate in the number exchange as well, but he soon realized that Rapmon should probably be notified that they would be leaving soon. "Hey, Rapmon Hyung!... Rapmon Hyung!... HYUNG!" Rhodon shouted as he began to even search the house. Where did he run off to? We need to get ready! He checked Aiden's bedroom first and then the master bedroom, where he found Rapmon sitting against the wall with earbuds in. His phone was plugged up to the outlet he sat next to, so that must have been why he remained in the bedroom. Though, there were plugs in the living room as well…

Rapmon removed one of the earbuds and raised his eyebrows at Rhodon, having seen him walk into the room, "What's up? Time to go?"

"Uh, yeah just about. Aiden texted—Wait, is that my charger? How did you even know where to find that?" Rhodon asked his friend with surprise lacing his voice. His eyes stared at the chord, certain that it was his only because of the Snoopy sticker that remained on the charger.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Mine's not working, and I knew you had the same phone as me, so… It was easy to find. We were around each other quite a bit last semester; trust me, that's enough time to know that you always have it in your backpack in case your phone dies," Rapmon replied with a grin in Rhodon's direction, "So we're leaving soon?" he asked as he stood and pulled the cord out of his phone to stuff the device into his pocket. "Let's get going then, shall we?" He quickly passed Rhodon and blocked him from exiting the bedroom door, using his long arms and legs to do so. He could easily block just about everyone in the household from getting past him, except Jin of course. He and Jin were very close in height…

"Oh, come on Hyung! We have no time for this! The others are going to be here anytime now. Move your lanky body out of my way~," Rhodon complained as he tried to push the six foot tall giant out of the doorway.

As soon as Rhodon began pushing, Rapmon was quick to move out of the way to allow his friend to fall to the ground in the hallway. With a laugh, he stepped over Rhodon and continued on into the livingroom to join the other upperclassmen, only looking back once he had come to a stop. A grin remained plastered upon his face as he watched Rhodon hurry after him. "You're holding us up, you know. We could be out the door by now…" he tisked as he crossed his arms.

Rhodon jogged through the hall towards Rapmon and practically pounced him to reach up and give him a nuggie to the head, "I'm holding us up?! Who was the one sitting in the back room with his headphones in going 'nanana na na' and not listening to others when they call for him?" he asked as he even mimicked what he thought Rapmon looked like when bobbing his head to the music. "Have you ever seen yourself when you try and move to the beat of something? Your facial expressions are like this…" He made a pained expression and scrunched his nose as he bobbed his head back and forth.

"Wait, wait ,wait, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't he do hand movements as well. Like this?" Jin pointed out as he waved his hands about in random gestures and hand signs.

Evan scoffed at Jin's hand movements, grinning in an attempt to keep his laugh in, "Hyung, that's not a rap sign… That's sign language for 'I love you'," he sputtered as he shook his head. He extended only his pinky and index finger out with the rest of the fingers clumped together towards the palm of his hand, "Look, this is the 'rock on' signal, which isn't used in rap by the way." He then lifted his thumb so that only the middle and ring fingers were pointed in, "This is what you were doing. You were basically telling us all that you love us in some kind of rapping gesture. If you can call it that," he laughed.

Jin laughed when he came to understand what Evan was explaining to him, and he raised his hand to his face to hide the embarrassment he was feeling. Did I really just do that? "I don't know anything about rapping, so forget that ever happened. Please?" he asked of them as he brushed past them to reach the door so they could leave.

"Forget that? Pffft. Fat chance." Rhodon laughed as he followed all of them out the door to the car. "It's okay, Jin. I have a feeling that there will be much more embarrassing moments to come. After all, in a house full of strangers, embarrassing things happen all the time."

"For real. I mean, when I first saw Evan, he was running around in his boxers! I'd be surprised if he wasn't embarrassed when he saw that I had arrived," Rapmon chortled as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… First off, if you're going to talk about something like that, you should at least be accurate. I wasn't running around, I was walking to the bedroom. Second of all, the only reason I left the bathroom without putting all of my clothes on was because the others told me that they were in a hurry to get all of their showers in before you newbies arrived," Evan defended himself jokingly. Normally, he would be quite embarrassed to have such things brought up and probably wouldn't take the situation so lightly, but for some reason, he found Rapmon's comment to be humorous and friendly enough that he only felt slightly embarrassed.

As the four of them continued to laugh and joke with one another, the three freshmen could be seen running back to the house, competing with one another to see who would reach the driveway first. Damien came in first, putting his track skills into use, and Andy just barely slipped into second before reaching the driveway. The three of them panted as they finally reached the upperclassmen, and while Andy and Damien were only just barely out of breath, Aiden's breathing was much heavier.

"Man… I need to workout more," Aiden commented as he bent over and placed his hands on his knees in an attempt to calm himself down. He didn't really exercise that much, and it was definitely showing.

Andy laughed as he patted Aiden's back with encouragement, "If it helps, you and I both lost to someone who is carrying a 15 pound backpack," he breathed as he shook his head and finally looked in Damien's direction. "How did you run so fast with that thing on? I know I was exaggerating about the weight, but it really is heavy." Earlier he had to move Damien's backpack so that he could push his chair in all the way, so he was fully aware of its weight.

Damien merely grinned in response as he brushed through his hair with his right hand and shook it out, not particularly liking how his sweat was making his hair stick to his forehead. "It doesn't feel that heavy to me. The main issue with it when I'm running is just how big it is."

"I tell you what, if you had run away after you had given me your backpack, I would have dropped it to go after you. That's too much work," Evan commented as he nodded towards the house. "You should put it in the house before we go. Aiden can lock the door so there's no chance of someone taking it." He reached his hand out for the backpack and offered a small smile to try and ease whatever concern he might have of giving up the bag.

Damien's grin subsided when Evan instructed him to leave his bag behind. Jin had really helped him see that he didn't always have to have it in sight, but it was still hard to leave it behind. Everything he owned in this very bag… As important as it all was, he was beginning to trust these people. Evan is right… I need to leave it behind. It would be there when he returned, and he had to believe that. He allowed a smirk of sorts to appear on his lips as he pulled his arms out of the backpack straps and finally reached out to hand it to Evan. Once in position, he allowed one of the straps to practically fall into Evan's hand, which made Evan work harder to pull the bag back up to put over his shoulder due to the momentum gained by the bag.

Evan winced as he heaved the bag onto his back, but he did not seem amused by Damien's playful gesture. Is it really necessary to make the backpack seem heavier than it really Is? The kid offered an expression that made him appear completely guiltless, too! "Don't even pretend to be innocent; you did that on purpose. Just remember, we live in the same house, kid." he scowled before gesturing for Aiden to follow him to the front door. He kept calling him 'kid' because in his eyes, he was the youngest. Ever since he chased him down, he couldn't help but see him as an innocent, helpless international kid. If he couldn't call him maknae, he would call him 'kid' until he proved Damien wasn't really 18.

Once Evan had placed the backpack inside, he left the house and watched as Aiden locked the door, before questioning him about the advisor meeting he had just attended. "Who's your advisor? Do you like them so far?"

"Uh… Well, his name is Nolan Cox. I don't really want to judge him too quickly, but I don't really get a good vibe from him," Aiden replied seriously. He didn't like to base people on their first impressions, but his advisor was not exactly what he had hoped for thus far.

"You have Professor Cox? Man… Good luck with him. Try to get on his good side if possible; once he dislikes you, there's really no way to make up for it." Evan offered Aiden advice due to his own experience with the teacher. He had had him for an English class the previous year, and he definitely didn't ever want a repeat of that class.

Their discussion was cut short once they realized they needed to choose who was going in what car, and within minutes, they departed from the house with the hair salon as their first destination. Upon arrival, Aiden led all six of his housemates inside and immediately approached the business's desk to speak with the beautiful, middle-aged brunette sporting a nametag on her grey blouse with "Jamie" printed on it. "Hey, Jamie, how are you? It's been a while… Listen, I wasn't able to make another appointment, but one of my other friends is in need of assistance. Is there room for him to get his hair done now as well, or should we come a little later?" he asked casually, presenting himself as a regular customer (which he was).

"Aiden! It has been a while, hasn't it? Let me check the schedule real quick. I know it doesn't look busy now, but sometimes people show up late to their appointments; you know how it is," Jamie replied with a bright smile as she followed her finger over the right page of the scheduling book. "Let's see… No one is scheduled with me except Andy Cimabue until half an hour from now. Lisa is free as well, so we can take him, no problem."

"Great! Also, I have to leave while they're getting their hair done, but if you finish before I return, don't let them pay, okay? I'll pay for their fees when I get back." Aiden grinned before gesturing for Andy and Rapmon to follow Jamie, and Lisa, a black-haired girl about the same age as Jamie, who had just approached the desk. "Have fun! I'll see you guys when I get back." he grinned before turning to the others, "You guys are okay with staying here until Damien and I get back, right?"

Jin let out an exaggerated sigh and offered a sassy roll of his eyes, "Aiden, are you serious? You're going to leave us here for 30 minutes to an hour? What are we going to do while you're gone? We can't possibly entertain ourselves." He shook his head and tsked.

Aiden smirked in response, appreciating Jin's sarcasm. "Don't fear, we'll be back soon." he joked as he waved and gestured for Damien to follow after him.

Rhodon laughed and offered a small wave to Damien and Aiden both as they left the hair salon before he took a seat in the waiting area between Evan and Jin. "Well, this is definitely going to be something else."

"Yeah, I can't imagine how Damien's going to react when he starts trying to work his new phone. I bet Aiden will get him a smartphone, considering this day and age, you know?" Evan replied as he slouched in his chair and watched Andy and Rapmon from afar. He was a little curious as to how their finished hair would look.

As the three of them continued their conversation in the salon, Aiden took charge of Damien for the time being and was trying to give his new friend as good of an experience as possible in the Verizon Wireless store he had driven to a few blocks away from the salon. "Okay, so with this being your first phone and all, let's look around a bit, and I'll give my advice whenever you need it, okay?"

Damien nodded as his eyes trailed off to the far side of the room where the devices lined the walls. He approached them slowly, uncertain as to tell whether or not one of them would be a good phone. Something small will do, right? He only needed it for communication… His eyes fell upon a small, black flip phone after he had seen its price. $49.99 was pretty inexpensive for a phone, so it was worth looking at, right?

"No, no, no, no, no. No. Okay, change of plan. If you're about ready to buy a cheap, old, $50 dollar flip phone I have no choice but to step in. I promise you, that think would break within a few months because it's so cheap," Aiden intervened. "Come on, I'll show you what device I'm going to get you." He lead the way down the aisle until they reached the smartphones, and he promptly came to a stop once he stood in front of the same model as his own phone. "There. An iPhone 6."

Damien was surprised by Aiden's reaction, but because he knew Aiden was much more informed about phones than he was, he couldn't disagree with anything he had to say. However, upon the sight of the iPhone 6s, Damien's eyes widened at the price and even the size of the phone. "But this is…" he began to disagree, but he soon realized that disagreeing with the price probably wouldn't get him anywhere. If he said he didn't like the model, that would probably persuade him more. "Um… I don't know, it's a little big, don't you think?"

"Too big? Huh… Yeah, I guess it's a little bulky. Some people don't like that in a phone. How about an iPhone 5s? It's a little smaller." Aiden pointed at the device that was nearby to their left.

Damien was still uncertain about it's price and size, but it felt wrong to be so picky about what someone else was buying for him… Aiden seemed disappointed enough by the fact he didn't want the iPhone 6. "Well… Okay. I guess that one's all right, but it's a lot of money… I'll pay you back as soon as I can, but right now, I really don't-"

"Don't worry about it. Seriously, Damien. If I didn't want to do this, I wouldn't have offered," Aiden replied seriously as he pointed towards the phone cases. "Let's go pick you out a phone case." He followed Damien to the direction he had pointed and began to scan the cases as he finally decided to strike up a more serious conversation. "So… I know this is sort of random, but I've noticed a few things that have been bothering me lately. I wanted to say something sooner; it's just that I didn't want to make you uncomfortable in front of the others. You remember when we walked with Andy to Papaleno's and we all told him our ages? You claimed you were 18, but I know for a fact that you're only 16. Ms. Byrd told me a bit about you in our exchange of emails…" he stated, though he was quick to continue on when he realized that Damien obviously felt he was upset with him. "I don't blame you at all. I'm not gonna lie, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably say the same thing to a group of strangers. The thing is, I don't want you to have to lie in order to feel like you fit in. It doesn't matter what age you are anyway; your personality is what will determine a friendship. So, do me a favor and try to be your true self. We'll be living together for a year, and hiding who you really are for that long can make someone go seriously crazy." He offered an honest smile. "Oh, and one more thing. Don't tell them your true age just yet. I actually want to see how long it takes for them to find out how old you really are; for now you'll continue to play as my hyung," he stated excitedly.

Damien didn't know what to think about all that Aiden had to say… How does he know I did it to fit in? Why is he not upset? Damien felt guilty at first, but Aiden's words eased his concerns. Aiden was even willing to play along with the lie until the others found out, as though this was some kind of game! A smile appeared on Damien's lips as he nodded."Sorry… And thank you. The thing is… I'm pretty sure some of them already know I'm the youngest," he admitted as he returned his eyes to the phone cases to continue looking. Somehow he felt relieved that at least one of them knew the truth.

"That's true, but do they have the proof? No. They can be as suspicious of your age as possible and still really wouldn't be able to disagree until they have proof. Let's just see how it plays out," Aiden replied with a grin as he watched Damien pick out a simple red phone case. "You like that one? I guess there really isn't much of a variety, is there? All right, let's make our purchase and get the heck out of here," he said as he received the case from him and then approached the employee.

After nearly 20 minutes, the two of them were finally out the door with Damien's new phone, its case and charger, and a phone plan to go with it. Once in the car, Aiden was quick to grab his car charger adaptor and plug it into the port before opening up the package that held Damien's charger and plugging it in. He then inserted it into the phone and handed it to Damien to hold. "I don't know why, but mobile stores always give you a phone that's nearly dead," he said as he turned the key in the ignition to start the engine and pulled out of the parking lot to return to the hair salon.

As Aiden parked the car and exited the door, he gestured for Damien to stay inside. "I'm pretty sure they're done by now, so I'll just go in real quick. You can stay here; I'll leave the engine on," he said before hurrying inside the salon. However, as he was entering the door, he accidentally ran into someone who was exiting, and he was quick to apologize only to glance in Jin's direction. "Are Rapmon and Andy done?" he asked as he finally looked ahead to search for his friends where they had been seated before. Rapmon looked like he was nearly done, but Andy was nowhere in sight! "Where's Andy?"

Rhodon and Evan shook their heads as they began to laugh while Jin just grinned and pointed towards whatever was behind Aiden.

"Dude, Chim Chim is right there. He saw you had arrived and was ready to greet you at the door, but instead you gave him a timid apology and didn't even recognize him!" Rhodon cackled.

"Huh? Really?" Aiden asked as he turned around to see that Andy was indeed standing there, laughing as well. His dark, red-brown hair was significantly shorter and styled in such a way that his forehead was showing and his bangs were neatly yet wildly styled to the right. The look suited him, but it was definitely something to get used to, "Whoa. Sorry I passed you like that, but I really didn't think that was you. You look completely different! Well… everything above your shoulders at least. Your outfit should have told me it was you." Aiden laughed with a hint of embarrassment present in his voice. "I guess I'll just have to get used to both yours and Rapmon's change of hair. Speaking of which, what color did Rapmon decide to dye his hair this time?"

"Blonde. He'd have to bleach it to dye it to another color anyways, so he decided to keep it blonde for a while and then change it whenever," Evan replied as he nodded in Rapmon's direction, "Looks like he's finishing up now."

"I don't know why you always look so different when you dye your hair, even though I've seen it change so many times." Rhodon stood and stretched from his seat when his friend approached.

Rapmon grinned as he pulled out his phone and used its camera to get a second look at his new hair. "Yeah, trust me, it's weird to see myself in different shades, too," he said as he grabbed his sunglasses that hung on his shirt collar and placed them on the bridge of his nose. He laughed at his own comment and action combination, proud of himself for finally being able to make a pun on the spot. Puns weren't exactly used so frequently in Japan, so it was something Rhodon was sort of teaching him. Sort of.

Andy, Aiden, and Rhodon practically burst out laughing as Aiden approached the desk to pay for the haircuts, but Evan looked more disgusted than anything. He despised puns, and the fact that Rapmon, of all people, made a pun both surprised him and made him shudder. He only hoped he didn't have any more up his sleeve… As for Jin, he seemed to be perplexed by what was so funny. He didn't exactly get the pun because he was a little too focused on the hair topic and didn't even consider the fact that sunglasses were also referred to as shades.

Rhodon noticed Jin's confusion, and he was eager to explain it to him even though he couldn't stop laughing to do so, "You don't get it? Sunglasses are also called shades right? So he was talking about his hair and –"

"I think he gets it now, Rhodon. Explaining the shades was probably enough," Evan interrupted as he placed his palm over his face to display how annoyed he was. Puns… They just drove him nuts.

Jin gave a long nod as Rhodon began to explain the shades. That really was all he needed to know to understand the pun, and he grinned once it sunk in. It was amusing to him, but not as much as it was to the others it seemed.

"Alright, guys, let's get going. I left Damien in the car, so we probably shouldn't be chatting so much and keeping him waiting," Aiden stated as he gestured for all of them to leave the hair salon. He waved goodbye to the employees and then followed after the group before he realized he hadn't told Rhodon where they were headed, "Hey, Rhodon!" he spoke up when he noticed he was already starting up a conversation with Damien through the car window, "Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to let you know that we're headed to the mall in Richmond. You know where that is, right?"

Rhodon had been eager to speak with Damien about his new phone, so he was the first one out of the salon to speak with him. Once Aiden had his attention, though, he was quick to respond, "Yeah, I know where that is. No problem. I guess we'll see you guys soon then." He said as he offered a brief wave to Damien and then headed to his own car so they could get all of this shopping over with. Damien hadn't even turned his phone on yet, so it's not like he was in the middle of a great conversation or anything.

The 15 minute car ride flew by, more than likely because Rhodon and Aiden were speeding, just a little. Once parked in the mall's lot, Aiden led the entire group into TJ Maxx's entrance to begin their clothing search, and he felt the need to brief them on the plan. "Andy, Damien, come here." He waved them closer to him so he wouldn't have to raise his voice. "Okay, so half of us can disperse to go with Andy and half with Damien to make this a little faster. You guys can pick out whatever clothes you feel suit you—the dressing rooms are pretty easy to find with all the signs hanging up on the walls. Hm… then again, I want to be with both groups, so scratch that. We'll stay together. Oh… and don't worry about the price." Aiden did believe the trip would be a little faster to split up simply because Damien and Andy would more than likely have different styles, but his desire to participate in this shopping experience with both of them completely overrode that thought.

Don't worry about the price? Jin, Rhodon, and Evan had all held a conversation at the salon while Aiden and Damien were gone, and Evan had discussed the possibility of Aiden's family being rich simply because of the evidence. The cost of the monthly piano tuning, the cost of a new phone and a plan to go with it, and the cost of the haircuts would usually bother a person when it all added up. And now he was telling Damien and Andy not to worry about it… The three of them exchanged looks with each other, finding their belief to be confirmed by this point. Even Andy and Rapmon seemed to be contemplating the matter, though Damien didn't seem to be putting any thought to it. His eyes were too busy scanning the store that he probably wasn't even listening to Aiden.

With their thoughts on the matter still lingering in their heads, the group finally began searching through the clothing in the store. Several minutes were spent picking out clothes, and those that Andy and Damien particularly liked were taken to the dressing rooms. One outfit after another, the group of boys either gave them a thumbs up or thumbs down; sometimes they even held a discussion about an outfit if there was disagreement. However, there was a point where Aiden had to step in to speak to Damien about the outfits he had chosen, "Um… Damien, I think there's something we need to clarify with you." He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose as he seemed to struggle with his words. "Look… Your outfits are all nice. And I mean, really nice. And… that's the problem. All of your outfits consist of jeans and button up shirts, cardigans, or polos. You even looked at the suspenders in the back of the men's section. You know what style looks nice, and you look great in these outfits. Because of that, I want to inform you of something… Wearing these clothes will make you stand out. I promise you. I mean, you scream international student to me, and I know a lot of people that are always really eager to speak to internationals. So, if you want to stand out, buy these clothes. If not, I can show you what to wear so that you blend in."

Damien listened to Aiden carefully, uncertain as to whether or not he wanted to wear these clothes. He liked England fashion. He liked all of the clothes he had picked which he could never afford to buy in the first place. However, if he really would stand out wearing these clothes, he wasn't sure he wanted to purchase them. He definitely wanted to blend in to avoid unnecessary interactions and stares. "Alright… How do I blend in?"

"Well, first of all, pick two of those outfits you like; you can use them for nicer occasions. So go ahead and hand me what you want to keep." Aiden replied, watching as Damien looked at the clothes to decide which outfits to pick. Once he finished, he then waved for Evan and Andy to stand up and join him in a line. "Okay, second of all… All three of us are Americans, right? I mean, we've lived here all of our lives. We all dress differently because we come from different areas, but we actually have a lot of similarities. The thing is, you've got a variety of looks to choose from. You can choose Evan's look and wear converse and ripped skinny jeans with a hoodie of sorts...You can choose my current look and wear sneakers, sweatpants and a regular t-shirt, or you can choose Andy's look and wear cowboy boots, jeans, and a plaid t-shirt. Andy's clothes are generally worn by people who farm or are from the southern states. Of course, you can mix things up, but I would try not to be too fancy all the time," he suggested. Aiden had noticed that Andy had been trying on clothes similar to his and Evan's styles, so he guessed that Andy didn't really care for the clothes he currently wore.

Damien looked the three of them over and also observed what Rhodon, Rapmon, and Jin were wearing and noticed all of them actually wore quite similar things. It seemed that the three internationals were also aware of what clothes should be worn in the states, or clothes that were normally seen. Perhaps in their countries, the clothes were normal as well. With a nod in Aiden's direction, he left the changing rooms to find more clothes and left the others to talk amongst themselves.

Evan ruffled up his hair and yawned as he returned to his seat next to Rhodon and spoke up to Andy, "I've noticed you've picked a variety of sweatpants and gym shorts. Do you exercise a lot or something?" he asked as they waited on Damien. Jin and Aiden had left to help Damien, but Evan was feeling less than motivated to continue shopping at the moment.

Andy stood against the wall across from the three occupied seats located directly across from the dressing rooms. He nodded in response to the question and smiled sheepishly as he did so. "Yeah, I guess I do. I went to the gym back home every other day, and I really didn't have the proper clothes to do it. I had to rewash and wear the same outfit every time, which was kind of annoying, you know? Anyway, my parents didn't really care much for these kinds of outfits so I never had the chance to buy more."

Rapmon grinned as he pulled his eyes away from his iPhone5 to gaze up at Andy. "You sound like me. Every time I leave my house I do something my parents wouldn't approve of. My hair, my clothes, my attitude towards life—I change everything when I leave home because I don't have them around to force me into things. You seem to be doing exactly the same thing, am I wrong?"

"Not exactly. They're not as controlling as you make it sound. I can wear what I like and for the most part make my own choices; they just like to make comments on everything I do to change my mind. You know, kind of like guilt-tripping because they think they know what's best for me. I love them, and I know they love me. It's just annoying sometimes. That's why I was so excited when I first came here," Andy replied as he ran his fingers through his newly cut hair; he still wasn't used to how short it was!

"Makes sense. I've found that college is a new start for many people. It's really a time for you to discover yourself. So I suggest that every one of us try to be as true to ourselves as possible this year in particular," Rapmon suggested as he closed the case to his phone and placed the device in his pocket.

Evan couldn't agree more with Rapmon's comment… Last year he barely became involved with anything or anyone, and he found it difficult to be who he was because of his introversive nature. He basically hated college because he spent most of his time alone doing homework or something. This year, he wanted to do something different. He recalled that moment in the car he shared with Rhodon and how alive he felt. Evan had felt so relieved when he had broken out of that cage of silence and anxiety. He wanted to feel that again and again until it was no longer just a moment, but instead a lifestyle. A smile came to his lips at the thought, and as if he had suddenly become energized, he stood and nodded his head to the side in the men's section direction to gesture for the others to join him. "Let's go help Damien; I'm not sure we should leave this all up to Aiden and Jin," he joked as he left the area to find the three of them.

For the rest of the shopping trip, the seven of them searched for clothes at different stores and even school necessities before going on to buy groceries and returning home by 10:30 p.m. While some were already eager to go to bed, Aiden had one more thing that needed to be discussed before the morning…

"So I know some of you are really tired after everything we did today, but we've kind of got a long day tomorrow as well… I mean, not all day, but a good few hours at least. In the morning at 7:30 or so my mom will be here with a moving truck that has all of the furniture we need for the rooms, and we kind of need to discuss who will be rooming with who so we can sort out the rooming situation and all," Aiden informed them as he removed his shoes from his feet at the door.

"Oh, I forgot we'd be moving furniture tomorrow… I can't believe it will be Sunday already." Jin remarked as he took off his shoes as well and made his way to the bathroom so he wouldn't have to wait in line to get in later. "I don't mind being anyone's roommate, so just let me know who it is later," he asked of Aiden as he entered the bathroom and closed the door. He liked all of the roommates so far, so he honestly didn't mind anyone. He actually preferred Rhodon mostly because he knew him more than any of the others, but he knew Rapmon and Rhodon would more than likely choose each other.

Sure enough, Rhodon piped up after Jin left to claim Rapmon as his roommate, "Rapmon hyung and I can room together, right?" he looked to his friend who nodded in return.

"I'll room with Jin hyung," Evan said as he pulled off his hoodie and shook his hair out. He had slept in the same room as Jin for the past few nights, and so far none of his sleeping habits bothered him. He didn't snore, and he didn't move around that much. He was a very promising roommate. Plus, he wasn't terribly hyper or anything, and their closeness in age gave them another similarity.

"Alright, that leaves the three of us to room together. Is that okay for both of you?" Aiden asked Andy and Damien. He wasn't surprised that the youngest were all thrown together, but he didn't mind at all.

Damien nodded in response. He was glad to be separating rooms because he wouldn't be bothering Evan during the night anymore. He honestly was beginning to like all of them, but so far he felt most at ease with Aiden, so this rooming situation was perfect!

Once Andy agreed as well, they all separated to prepare for bed due to the early morning duties. Evan assisted Damien and Andy in carrying clothes to the backroom to hang them up or fold them; Aiden had actually bought quite a bit for Andy and Damien both because of their lack of clothes… Once they placed the bags down on the floor, those who weren't in the bathroom helped fold or hang up the clothes to get it done faster.

"So, Damien… do you know why we're moving everything in at 7:30 and not any later?" Evan asked him, hoping to simply strike up a conversation with him that seemed completely normal. He felt as though Damien was still tense around him, and he wanted to change that. For the most part; messing with him was still fun.

"Um… I think… Perhaps it's because the freshmen have a schedule (sheh-dule) to keep to. I'm almost positive that there's a church service or something that we're required to attend," Damien answered uncertainly. He wasn't sure if he was remembering it correctly or not..."If that's what we have to do, then I believe it starts at 10:00."

"I think he's right about the whole 'shedule' thing. Don't you remember going to a required church service during orientation?" Rhodon commented with a grin as he joined their company, jokingly mocking Damien's pronunciation of 'schedule'; he had never heard it pronounced like that. He couldn't deny that he liked the British accent, though.

Evan laughed a little. "It sounds weird hearing someone with an American accent say 'shedule', so please spare me." He shook his head before glancing over at the grinning Damien. "I'm pretty sure most of us have only ever heard the British accent through things like Harry Potter or British television, so it's honestly kind of cool to hear it first-hand. I've heard accents from Africa, Japan, Korea, and essentially all of America, but I've not heard any from Europe really," He informed Damien.

"Yeah, I think we can all agree with that. I haven't seen many Europeans attend Berea. I haven't heard you speak much yet, but when we get comfortable enough for you to do so, do us a favor and be patient if we don't understand you. I'm not sure if we'll be able to if you're speaking quickly or using British slang, you know?" Rapmon said as he folded a pair of shorts.

"Yeah, I'll try to be clear, promise," Damien replied, though he wasn't exactly sure how he couldn't be clear. He thought he spoke very clearly already, so he didn't know how he was going to be clearer than he was now. He really didn't even know what words were a part of British slang and what words weren't…

"Anyway, I'm pretty sure you're right… The first Sunday was definitely a required church service. I guess I'll get up that early, as much as I'd rather not," Evan sighed as he hung up a couple of shirts in the closet. Why was he even doing all this work right now? He was ready to lay down… "Oh, that reminds me. Do you like taking showers in the morning or the evening, Damien?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow in his direction.

Damien gave Evan a confused glance as he pondered how to respond. He knew that answer, didn't he? He was pretty sure he had questioned him once… "Um… morning I guess."

"Great. Wait until 6 a.m. to take a shower this time, will ya? It's completely unnecessary for you to get up in the middle of the night just to freshen up. You lose sleep, and unfortunately so do I," Evan suggested to him. It was annoying that he kept waking up to find him missing, but he really was concerned that he wasn't getting enough sleep.

Damien opened his mouth to reply, but he quickly closed it and nodded. He really just needed to try and be quieter when he left his bed apparently… As much as he'd love not to interrupt his own sleep, he still wasn't comfortable taking showers with strangers running around the house. Besides, his own body woke him up at different times throughout the night; he wasn't using an alarm or anything!

"Oh, speaking of which… You can use your phone as an alarm, too, so you can go ahead and set it to 6:00 a.m. if you want. Though, I'm sure we're all going to have alarms going off as it is. Yours might not be necessary," Rhodon remarked thoughtfully as he pulled out his phone to check his own alarm.  
Damien watched as Rhodon slid his thumb across the screen to reveal the password entry screen, as he pressed 4 numbers, and then as he searched for the alarm. He himself had no idea how to use a phone, but he really didn't want to admit it to the other housemates. And why should he have to ask for help if he could just observe them instead?

"Oh, hold on a sec, we still need to finish exchanging numbers. Damien, open up your contacts so we can all put our numbers in." Rapmon gestured for him to get his phone out of his pocket.

Damien nodded and hesitantly reached into his right jeans' pocket to pull out the device and open it for the first time. He copied Rhodon and slid his thumb across the screen to open it, but to his surprise, there was no password to punch in. He figured it was simply because he had yet to add a password, so he continued to search for wherever he might find the contacts in his phone. Obviously he was looking for an icon, but what did it look like? He stared at the screen, reading each icon available only to find that contacts wasn't a choice at all! "Where..?" he questioned allowed as he looked up at Rapmon with confusion evident in his facial expression.  
"You've got to slide to the next screen, kid," Evan answered for him as he reached over and slid his index finger across Damien's screen to reveal even more icons that were not available on the first page.

".. Yeah, I just thought it would have been on the first screen…" Damien replied sheepishly, pretending as though he knew how the phone worked. He wanted to learn this on his own to spare himself the embarrassment of asking for help all the time. Once he spotted the grey icon with the silhouette of a person and "Contacts" written below it, he tapped it and watched as it opened up into "All Contacts"; obviously it was currently empty, though…

"Here, I'll put my number in," Rapmon said as he reached over and gently removed the phone from Damien's hands to add his contact into the device. He typed in his name, scrolled down, and then typed in the number before handing it over to Evan as he spoke to Damien, "When we're done putting our numbers in, make sure you send us all a text so that we have yours. It's just easier that way."

"Oh, are we exchanging numbers with Damien?" Jin asked as he finally joined the group after preparing for bed. His pajamas consisted of a rather large black t-shirt and black mario pants, and in his arms he still carried the clothes he had worn for the day.

"Yeah, we're just passing the phone around. Where's Aiden?" Andy asked as he typed in his contact and then handed the phone to Rhodon.

"How would he know? Jin was the first one in the bathroom, remember? He was just taking his sweet time making sure he looked perfect for bed." Rhodon pointed out with a laugh. "Aiden's in the shower. I heard the water as I was passing by to join you guys." he answered as he then passed the phone on to Jin, who received it with a sheepish chuckle.

"I did not take that long. Besides, I look perfect no matter how long I take in the bathroom. It's one of the perks of being me." Jin defended himself as he brushed his hair back with his free hand and struck a pose for a few seconds before laughing it off. He knew he wasn't that handsome and that it was completely untrue that bathroom time didn't matter, but… ah, who was he kidding? He was totally perfect.

The entire group roared with laughter, but Rhodon was the first to speak up and comment on his friend's behavior, mocking him as he copied the pose more dramatically."Hello, I'm Jin Hyung, and I believe myself to be the most perfect person in the world. Bow down to this face of greatness," he joked only to receive even more laughter.

"If you look perfect no matter what, I guess you don't even need an allotted bathroom time, right? That makes it much easier on us," Rapmon cackled as he watched Jin's face fall into a look of dismay.

"Now hold on." Jin threw his clothes on the ground and pointed at Rapmon as he attempted to stop his own laughter. "Just because I look perfect does not mean I don't need to use the bathroom at all. I deserve just as much bathroom time as everyone else."

"Don't worry, hyung, we can always buy a mirror for your bedroom," Evan teased him further as he finally hung up the last shirt and picked up all of the bags the clothes had been in. He then faced the rest of the group and gestured towards the bathroom attached to the current master bedroom they were in, "Who has to take a shower? I'd kind of like to get in there before I get stuck behind someone who takes forever…"

Their laughter soon calmed once Evan posed a more serious question, and Rhodon, Andy and Rapmon each raised their hands in response. "Alright, I'm going in then." Evan said more to himself than anyone else as he took his leave. He didn't mind staying up late, but he'd rather just get the bathroom preparations over with so he could at least lie down.

Jin picked up his clothes once more and set them near his suitcase which he still had yet to unpack, just like everyone else. Without having assigned rooms and furniture, there really was no point in unpacking… Thankfully things would be much more organized after moving in all of the furniture tomorrow morning; Jin was extremely grateful for this.

Over the next several minutes, those who would be taking their showers in the morning prepared for bed before the others were able to take their showers. Rapmon was the first to hop in the shower, leaving the rest of them in the room to either make an attempt to fall asleep or wait for everyone to finish up, and once Aiden returned, Rhodon switched with him.

While Jin was on his laptop to read or write a few emails, the others were either sitting or lying down in their makeshift beds as they texted or played games on their phones. This was the perfect opportunity for Damien to discover how to work his own phone, and he was not missing out on it. He observed the housemates around him to see who the best candidate was for his secret mission, and as soon as he saw Evan lying on his stomach as he opened up his phone, he knew he was the current best choice for him to watch due to his positioning. Damien sat himself down on his bed with one leg crossed over the other, facing his pillow, and he allowed his eyes to sneak a glance at Evan's phone to watch his every move. To his dismay, all Evan did was click on a blue and white 'F' icon, and then he just scrolled through whatever application it was. Damien had seen others use this app before, but it was still a mystery to him. He really wanted to try it one day…

With little to no information being gained from Evan's phone surfing, he stood and sat himself next to Andy, who seemed to be very absorbed into whatever he was doing on his phone. Instead of taking the passive approach this time, Damien decided he should probably say something so that the fact that he was sitting next to him wouldn't make his mission totally obvious. "What are you doing?" he asked as he leaned over to see that Andy was playing a game of sorts. The game was a color wheel with a little symbol present in each color, and similar to a game of roulette, the wheel was spun and landed on a color. Apparently this opened up a page where a question and four possible answers could be seen; it was just like a trivia game one could play on a board game!

"It's an app called Trivia Crack. Aiden and I started playing against each other yesterday," Andy replied as he carefully read the question given to him from the pink/entertainment section: 'How many children does Jennifer Lopez have?' Options: 'none; 2; 3; 1.' Andy seemed to consider this for a moment, but he didn't take too much time in selecting 1 because he knew he didn't know the answer. Sure enough, the screen told him it was incorrect and highlighted 2 as the correct answer. "Man, I know who Jennifer Lopez is, but how am I supposed to know how many kids she has?" He shook his head and looked over at Aiden as he waited for him to finish his second round. "He beat me last time. He knows a lot more about the entertainment industry than me," he admitted with a sheepish grin. He didn't want to lose to Aiden, but he was very unlucky with these spins.

A few minutes passed before Aiden could be heard two beds away from them saying how unfair some question was. It must have been something he really had no knowledge about… Andy pulled up the page once more once it told him it was his turn, and he looked over at Aiden with a roll of his eyes. "You're disappointed and yet you already have two categories fulfilled? I have zero," he laughed as he spun the wheel once more. This time the spinner landed on the green/science category: 'What happens in chronic hypertension?' Options: 'Blood becomes thick; Walls of heart become thick; More red blood cells are produced; People lose appetite' Andy groaned a little as he tried to decide which answer to pick, knowing fully well that he'd be running out of time. He was about to randomly select an answer when Damien interrupted him in the process…

"It's the second choice. The walls of the heart become thick," he said as he pointed to the option.

Andy was going to question Damien to make sure he was certain, but with time of the essence, he quickly chose the second option and was surprised to find that it was correct. How did he know that? "Whoa, thanks a lot. That's one category down!"

"Hey, you can't have Damien help you; that's cheating!"Aiden complained as he watched the two from a short distance away, "How could you betray me like that, Damien hyung? Evan hyung, lend me a hand will ya? If he gets a partner, I should have one, too, don't you think?"

Evan didn't even take his eyes off of his phone as he lazily responded to Aiden's request, "Eh… It's too late to be playing those games, don't you think? If you don't know one, ask it aloud and maybe I'll help," he replied with a yawn. He didn't feel like moving now that he was in bed and having to think at this hour was the last thing he wanted to do right now.

"Okay, okay, I can do this one. Damien, if you know it, don't tell me," Andy insisted as his eyes scanned the screen. 'Which state uses ferries as a major form of daily transportation for work commuters?' Options: 'Illinois; Idaho; Washington; Texas.' After a few moments of thought, he finally clicked on Washington to reveal that his answer was correct. "Yeeeah, we're tied now Aiden!"

The game continued on between the two of them, and for Aiden's sake, Damien kept quiet. Though, there were times when he would make small gestures to Andy to tell him the answer without Aiden knowing. At last the time had come when the winner was announced and Andy couldn't help but to be as excited as ever! "Yes! Finally! I'm rising up; you better beware, Aiden. Soon enough I'll be the one ahead!"

"I'm still winning 3:1, so you might not want to become too full of yourself," Aiden warned him casually as he closed out of the app and turned off his phone. He was definitely ready for bed.

Andy chuckled as he closed out of the application as well and then selected the green and white icon with a word bubble on it. This opened up to his messages, and he was about to open up a message from his mom when he realized Damien was still looking over his shoulder. He turned his head to look at his roommate and shyly spoke up to him, uncertain as to how he should confront Damien. "Um… this is kind of a message from my mom, so…" he trailed off, feeling a little embarrassed.

Damien really hadn't meant to infringe upon Andy's privacy; all he was meaning to do was to learn about the general functions of the phone. When Andy spoke up, he was taken out of his thoughts, and he immediately became anxious and embarrassed from the confrontation, "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you; I kind of spaced out a bit. Sorry…" he quickly apologized as he stood and returned to his bed next to Evan. Okay, so he was kind of caught. And suddenly, he was feeling as though this was not a good way to go about things. Maybe he'd just play around with his phone until he figured it out…

Andy watched as Damien left the spot beside him, and he found himself sort of regretting what he had said. He didn't mean to make Damien feel bad! Hopefully he wasn't offended or anything… Hesitantly he returned his eyes to the message from his mom and read it over before giving a quick response. She was just wishing him a goodnight and hoping his time at college was going well so far, even though his classes had yet to start. When he realized Rapmon had returned to the room, he stood and finally switched with him to finally take his own shower; hopefully there was still some hot water left!

It wasn't long before all of the roommates had finally finished getting ready for bed and were beginning to settle down in their respective spots. The quieter ones of the group had fallen asleep in no time and were followed later by the restless and simply too energetic ones.

The following morning, the first alarm sounded off at 6:00 a.m. All of the roommates stirred in their beds, some of them trying their hardest to ignore it while others were ready to get up and start the day. However, Damien was the only one out of all of them that was still fast asleep. It was as though his mind hadn't registered the sound at all.

"Turn it off… 15 more minutes…" Aiden complained as he rolled over and pulled his blankets over his head to block the sunlight that had begun to shine through the window. He didn't want to be awake this early, and he knew that he himself had time to spare to stay in bed.

"Who's taking a shower first?" Evan asked in a mumble as his eyes remained closed. If he opened them, he knew he wouldn't be able to return to sleep as easily as he would otherwise.

"Wasn't it Damien?" Rhodon yawned as he sat up in bed and rubbed his head. His eyes were still adjusting to the light that fell into the room, so he was squinting to see who was already awake.

"Damien… Damien, go shower…" Evan muttered, assuming he was already awake by now. "And someone turn off that alarm, will you?" he asked as he raised the sides of his pillow to block his ears from the sound. He really hated high pitches upon awakening...

Jin drowsily reached over and grabbed his phone from beside the wall next to him, and he slid his thumb across the screen to finally silence the sound that was emanating from it. He stretched for a few seconds before he, too, sat up as he looked over at Damien, "Is he awake?"

"I don't know how he couldn't be; your phone sounded like a fire alarm going off…" Andy replied, though he wasn't ready to move either. He let out a deep sigh, wishing they could sleep in longer; school wasn't in session yet, so waking up so early seemed a little unnecessary…

Rapmon groaned as he pushed himself off the floor and ruffled his hair, only to avert his squinting eyes over at Damien, whose blankets were practically kicked all the way off of him. His arms hugged his pillow, and knees were bent almost to his chest. This position looked completely uncomfortable in Rapmon's eyes… "Damien, wake up." he insisted as he reached over and gently shook him. Damien's left hand pushed Rapmon's away and his body turned over onto his back, but it didn't seem as though he had woken up at all.

"Is he really not waking up?" Rhodon asked as he stood up and carefully walked over his other housemates, this time without falling or stepping on anyone. He sat himself beside Rapmon and reached out to poke Damien's face. "Damien~," he called as he proceeded to even mess with his hair. Damien's facial expression turned to one of annoyance as his head shook to escape whatever was messing with him, but again, he did not wake. "Man… he sleeps like a rock. Let's pick him up; maybe then he'll wake up."

"Nah, I don't think that'd work," Rapmon disagreed before leaning over and gently slapping the boy's cheeks. "Come on, Damien, we've got a lot of work to do today," he prodded.

Damien's eyebrows knit together, and again his hands pushed Rapmon's away. However, this time he finally began to wake up. He turned his head from side to side as his eyelids fluttered open to adjust to the light. When he realized that Rapmon and Rhodon were staring at him, he sat up and quickly rubbed his eyes before offering a confused expression towards his roommates, "What happened..? Did I sleep in..?" he yawned.

The two of them exchanged glances and then looked back at the so-called third youngest, "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'd say so… Listen, it's now seven past six, so you might want to get in the shower so that Evan and Jin can take theirs as well," Rapmon replied.

"Shower..? I already took my shower…" Damien replied sleepily as he shook his head and gently slapped his own cheeks to wake himself up.

Evan's eyes slowly opened only to glare up at the ceiling above him. Did he not have a conversation with him about this last night? This was the third night in a row that Damien took a shower when everyone was sleeping, and he seriously needed to realize that sleep was important. Not to mention, he himself now had to get up earlier than he had expected to in the first place. Wait… Jin still has to take one as well. "Hey Hyung… go ahead and take yours first. I'll wait…" he said, as though it was a privilege to be able to take a shower first.

Jin was completely aware of the reason as to why Evan wasn't willing to take his shower first, so he didn't bother arguing and just went along with it. He was already awake anyways, so he might as well. Reluctantly he stood and picked out his clothes for the day from his suitcase before leaving the room to freshen up. The rest of the members slowly began to get ready as well the closer the time got to Aiden's mother's estimated arrival time. Aiden was the last to get up because he cared less than the other members did about his mom seeing him in a sleepy and unkempt state. The time did arrive quickly however, and soon enough, his mother was at the door with a moving truck in the driveway waiting for the boys to remove its contents.

"Good morning, mom. Thanks for bringing the truck this early…" Aiden yawned as he ruffled his hair with his free hand while the other remained in his left pocket. He had had time to dress and everything, but his hair and mind were still kind of a mess at the moment.

"No problem, pumpkin. Still taking your time getting out of bed, I see…" Ms. Valentine smiled as she reached up and fixed her son's hair. "I've got to get going to work, so I'll be back for the truck around five tonight. You boys be careful and have fun," she said as she hugged him and kissed Aiden's cheek. She handed the truck keys to him, waved to the others who stood waiting behind Aiden, and then left as soon as she had come. It seemed as though she had a very busy schedule…

"All right, let's get to work then. I'm ready to get these rooms set up," Rhodon said excitedly as he followed after Aiden to the truck. Though all of them were rather reluctant to be moving things at this early hour, they made their best effort for the move-in. The seven of them carried in desks and chairs, dressers and lamps-everything one might need in a bedroom. Obviously, the hardest part was bringing in the bed frames due to how large they were. The boys had been working for an entire hour moving around furniture. Even Aiden's bunk bed had been moved from his room to the master bedroom because there would be three of them staying in the same room. The longer they worked, the more worn out some of them felt. Particularly Evan. Towards the end of the move-in, he had climbed into the back of the move in truck and lay on one of the mattresses that was conveniently laying there for him to fall back on. The mattresses were the last things left to bring in, and this was a part of his celebration for that fact.

"Guys, he's finally fallen!" Andy exclaimed to the others as they exited the house for what seemed to be the 50th time. He carefully tugged on Evan's ankle as he laughed. "Hyung, we're almost done. You can make it."

"What do you mean he's fallen?" Aiden laughed as he joined Andy's side to witness Evan's body sprawled out on the mattress with his eyes shut. "Pffft. Did anyone bet for him to last this long? I think mine was 30 minutes."

"I bet an hour. How long has it been?" Jin asked as he checked his watch to answer his own question, "Oh, I was close! It's been an hour and ten. That should still count, shouldn't it?" he asked hopefully as a grin came to his face at the sight of their housemate.

"Of course that doesn't count. None of us win," Rapmon stated as he watched Andy hop into the moving truck.

"Wow, thanks for believing in me guys. It's a pity none of you got money off of me," Evan remarked lazily, not even budging or opening his eyes when he felt the truck move due to Andy.

Andy motioned for some of them to join him in the truck and then gestured for them to go to each corner of the mattress and pick it up with Evan on it since he wasn't paying any attention. One-by-one, Rhodon, Damien, and Aiden got into the truck to help Andy in his evil deed, and though Jin and Rapmon were silently protesting from the sidelines with several hand motions and shakes of their heads, the younger members proceeded to pick the mattress up.

"Whoa, hey! What're you guys-" Evan cut himself off when he realized the four of them were actually doing a pretty good job at carrying him out of the truck. At first he was going to shout at them to put him down, but his mind had quickly registered that this could be a good thing. He didn't mind being carried into the house at all. "You guys are stronger than you look, I'll give you that…" he said as he placed his hands behind his head to show how comfortable he was.

"Alright, guys, when we get to the door, we flip him. We can't take the mattress in without turning it anyways," Andy suggested with a laugh, trying to get a different reaction out of Evan. He hadn't expected him to let them carry him!

"Whatever you do, just don't let the mattress touch the ground until we get inside. It doesn't need to get dirty already…" Jin asked of them as he and Rapmon followed after the group.

"Whoa, we are not flipping this thing over. Just do me a favor and let me off easy, will you?" Evan asked, suddenly becoming uneasy about the whole situation. The last thing he wanted to do was to be thrown on the ground without being able to prevent it.

Once they reached the door, Andy jokingly pretended as though he was dropping his end of the mattress, but he was quick to catch it before Evan fell off and hurt himself. A grin still remained on his lips though. "Okay, time to get off. We've got to take these in."

Evan glared at Andy for giving him a small heart attack and making him think that he would hit the ground, but he willingly lifted himself off of the mattress to allow them to continue carrying it into the doorway on its side. It was fun while it lasted, but boy was he ready to get Andy back if he had fallen.

The rest of the moving had finally finished up once the last mattress was brought in, and with everything set up and with only half an hour to spare before it was time for the freshmen to get ready for church, they all finally began to unpack and at last settle into their new home for the next year.


	9. Chapter 8: First of Many

**Chapter 8: First of Many**

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait on the next chapter, but I have definitely had roadblocks with this one... I hurt my wrist while I was reaching the end of the chapter, and if it weren't for my friend's help typing and skyping with me to get it done, it wouldn't have finished so I really thank her for the help and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! They finally get their Korean names and are becoming closer so this one was soooo fun for me! Thank you guys for continuing to read!**

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"Evan… hey, wake up." Jin insisted as he shook the shoulder of his sleeping roommate. Jin was already dressed in a nice pair of black jeans and a dark blue, short-sleeved button-up shirt, and it appeared as though he was getting ready to leave. All he had to do was put his shoes on and grab his backpack.

Evan groggily awoke, obviously not too thrilled to be disturbed at such an early hour. He had hoped to sleep at least until his alarm went off. "What is it..?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes and squinted up at Jin. Was this really necessary?

"I'm taking Andy and Damien to their first classes, but Aiden doesn't have class until 9:20. Can you take him to that class before you head to yours? You said you had a class at that time as well, didn't you?" Jin asked hopefully. The freshmen didn't exactly know where their classes were, so they needed to be dropped off early if at all possible.

"... What, are they five?" Evan grumbled as he groaned and dropped his face straight down into his pillow. He woke him up so that he could help drop off the kids? He mumbled something else into the pillow that was completely inaudible to Jin and then went completely silent. He really was fighting to stay in bed.

"Sorry, what was that? Can you speak up?" Jin asked as he poked the back of his head, continuing to urge him to respond. At this point he really was trying to annoy him because of the attitude he received from him.

Evan quickly reached his right hand up and brushed Jin's hand away before turning to glare up at him as he shook his hair out, "Can't you bother Rapmon? Or Rhodon? It's not like they're freshmen or anything…"

"Rapmon and Rhodon have classes later in the day. Also, I believe Rapmon said something about taking care of some business with financial aid." Jin replied as he opened the room's door to finally leave, "Just please take Aiden. He may live here, but I'm sure he's never had to do anything on campus before." And with that he left Evan to himself, the door still open to the hallway.

Evan glared at the open door, feeling an immense hatred towards the sight of it. Why did he have to be the only one who could take Aiden besides Jin? Why did Jin leave the door open?! Geez, only mothers did such things… That's always one of the things that parents do. They bother you and then they leave, purposely keeping the door open to make you get up and close it yourself. Ugh… "Why…" he groaned again as he stretched out his limbs and again face planted into his pillow. The sun was too bright, his body was unhappy that he was awake at this time, and he held no desire to move… Carefully, he reached over and picked up his phone from the side of the bed and propped himself up on his elbows to read the two messages he was notified of by his phone. One message was from his mother telling him to have a good first day at school, and he couldn't help but remark to himself that he was no longer a child. The second was from Damien. "What do you want now, kid…" he asked aloud as he read the message over.

 _Real Maknae:_ _Your shampoo is behind the mirrored cabinet._

Evan looked the message over and stared, perplexed by the words Damien had sent. What was he going on about? Of course it was in there. That's where they decided shower stuff belonged! Why did he feel the need to- Evan glared at the message when he came to the realization of why he must have sent it. His fingers were quick to type a reply and once he clicked send, he could help but mutter to himself, "This kid is going to be the death of me…" Ever since he got his phone and learned how to use it, Damien has had more of a voice over text than he ever did verbally. He asked for help when he was just one room away, he sent weird messages such as this to avoid confrontation… it was completely unnecessary.

 _Lazy Hyung:_ _You used it didn't you_

Damien perked up when he heard a high pitched bing from his jeans pocket and pulled his phone out only to read the message from the lock screen. His eyes nervously looked away from the phone, as though Evan himself was staring at him through the screen, and he was about to stuff the device into his pocket when he was stopped by Andy.

"Before you put that away, you might want to turn off the sound. Teachers might call you out in class for that sort of thing." Andy informed him as they walked out the door with their heavy school bags carried upon their backs. He definitely didn't want Damien getting in trouble on the first day of school. He brushed his bangs away from his forehead as he ran a hand through his hair and then fixed his denim jacket's collar while he walked alongside Damien, following behind Jin, "Hey, hyung, when is your first class? It's 7:15 right now, and you have your backpack with you, so do you have an 8:00 class as well?" he asked curiously.

Jin came to a stop until he was walking on Andy's other side so he could speak with them without speaking up, "No, but I have no problem with being early. Like Evan, I have a class at 9:20 as well, and I have plans to speak with my supervisor before it. My main concern was making sure the two of you arrived at your classes on time. I can also point out where you'll be headed after the first class if you can tell me what your schedule is." he offered as he fixed one of the straps of his backpack.

The three of them continued on to the completely other side of campus towards their destination, Draper building, where Damien and Andy's GSTR class was to be held. Jin pointed out the places in which each of them would be headed for the rest of their schedules, and he even waited with them until their class was to start. As the day progressed, the classes seemed to take longer and longer, because every single period seemed to be a repeat of the last. The first day was always about clarifying rules and syllabi and usually also included introductions. It was as though the teachers didn't think a student could read on his/her own. The only period that was different from the rest was the group's 1:20 class, which was their Korean language course.

The seats were set up in such a way that there were two long rows of tables parallel to each other with two tables at the very end of one side perpendicular to both rows. An open space was left between the two rows for the teacher to walk around in so that he could have eye contact with every individual and vice versa. Six of the housemates took up the majority of one row while other students sat in surrounding seats. Jin sat in the back of the room to watch over the classroom as their teacher's assistant.

"Jin hyung looks awfully professional over there, doesn't he?" Rhodon grinned as he leaned over to look past Rapmon and catch a glance of Jin who seemed to be diligently filling out some paperwork of sorts. Rapmon was sitting in the first seat of the left row of tables (walking in), so his seat was directly diagonal from the perpendicular table at the back of the room nearest the door. Next to him sat Rhodon, Damien, Andy, Evan, and finally Aiden before reaching a student that was not a part of their household.

"Yeah, I guess he does. Being a language TA is actually kind of easy. I mean, if it's your own language, all you're doing is helping others with something you are completely comfortable with. Though, I'll admit it's hard to explain why things are the way they are." Rapmon replied with a chuckle before pulling out a notebook and pencil from his backpack. He himself was a Japanese TA, and he rather enjoyed it because of the teacher and the ease he had in the job. Little stress came from this particular occupation.

As Rapmon busied himself with preparing for class to start, Rhodon leaned over to look past Damien and Andy in order to speak up to get Evan's attention, "Hey, Evan Hyung!" he called out and then waited for him to turn his attention to him for him to continue talking, "Was that you I saw riding around in a Public Safety golf cart earlier? I was walking to my class when I saw you riding across the crosswalk." he laughed as he explained why he asked, "Is that why you got the job? I'll admit, that's pure genius."

Evan allowed a small smirk to come to his lips and was about to reply when he realized the teacher was entering the room. He could tell that he was the type to get started as soon as the time was in his favor, so Evan just decided to keep his mouth shut before he was told to do so.

Their teacher cleared his throat and gestured for Jin to close the door, and he class soon quieted down once they realized the teacher was about to speak, though a couple students were still talking. "All right, if you will all please quiet down,.. Thank you. Welcome to Korean language class. I am your teacher, Professor Nathan Hill. No, I am not of Korean descent, but I have lived in Korea for twenty years, so I can assure you I have plenty of experience. Also, please take notice of your TA, Kim Seokjin, who you will all refer to as Seonbae. This is an honorific used for someone who is both older and holds more experience in something than you do. Also, he will be passing around the syllabi for us to look over, and while he is doing that, I'd like to take the time to announce something of great importance, which also happens to include your first homework assignment," he said as he then reached into his briefcase and pulled out several envelopes.

Professor Hill began to pass these envelopes out in the same direction as Jin to avoid bumping into him, and he explained what these were as he did so, "In these envelopes you will find a picture of a Korean family and a note inside with their name, email address, and house address. These families have volunteered to adopt a student in a sense that you will be writing to them, telling them things about yourselves and becoming part of their family in a way. They will even give you a Korean name that they feel suits you. These will be your families until your Korean language journey has come to an end. But, even if that is so, I would encourage that you keep these connections long after this class, especially if you hope to travel to Korea one day. So, if you would, go ahead and open your envelopes and pull out your laptops that I had emailed you to bring today. When you log in, I want you to email your given families with an introduction of sorts as well as a picture of yourself, which again I had asked of you all to have ready as well. And don't worry, these families are capable of speaking English well enough to communicate." he informed them.

Every student in the class looked either intimidated or anxious except for the six household members, who all seemed to be genuinely confused. Kim Seokjin? All this time they thought his name was Jin Kasey! That is what he said his name was, right? Each of the six exchanged glances with each other as they pulled out their laptops and started up the systems. Of course they were interested in the topic at hand, but this whole thing Jin sort of threw them off.

The longer he thought about it, the sooner Andy came to realize that Jin actually did tell them something about his name. He leaned over and whispered it to the others as they were waiting on their computers, "I completely forgot Jin said that he wasn't as use to his American name…" he whispered.

"That's right… He should have told us his Korean name, too, don't you think?" Evan replied with a sigh as he logged into his Berea email account. When he received his envelope, he became anxious about the whole situation. This was a neat idea, he had to admit, but what if the family didn't like him? How was he suppose to write? WHAT was he suppose to write? Carefully, he opened it to reveal a picture of the family, and his eyes quickly scanned over the picture to see the people who would be receiving his letters. A mother, father, and son, huh? This should prove to be interesting, especially because the son was apparently older than him. With a few ideas of what to write, he started to write the email to the family.

Just a few seats down, however, Damien was significantly more anxious about even opening the envelope. What did he mean these families were adopting students? Do they actually become like family? A real family? His hands began to shake the longer he thought about it, and he couldn't even find the words in his own mind to explain to himself what he was feeling. Hesitantly he pried the envelope open, careful not to rip it as much as possible. He pulled the photo out and examined every bit of it. His blue eyes wavered upon the family before him that seemed to be so happy to have each other and to be in that moment in which this picture was taken. A mother, father, and son, just like Evan's family had. Without another second to spare, his eyes shifted to the names of the family members, and he read over everything on the page before looking to his computer when he realized he had to write an email to these people. What was he supposed to say?

"Damien? You alright?" Rhodon asked once he realized how pale Damien had become. It was normal for his skin to be pale, but not like this… "Isn't this awesome? We're going to be able to talk to people from Korea. In the family I've got there's the parents and a daughter. What about you?" Rhodon was excited about this, but at the same time part of him had wished there was also a son. He already had two older sisters, and if he included this one, that meant three. Then again if there was one and they were to actually meet, he wondered if it would just lead to a repeat of history… Maybe he was being a little paranoid.

"Um… Yeah. It's great… I mean, who knew we'd be able to talk to natives. But what are we supposed to email them about?" Damien replied nervously as he eyed the teacher who was sitting at his desk waiting for them all to finish with their emails.

"Just write about yourself. You know, where you're from, facts about your family, your birthday, your major, likes and dislikes, that sort of stuff. Make sure you ask about them as well." Rapmon replied, overhearing his and Rhodon's conversation. He himself was already almost done typing up his email to his given family, which consisted of a couple and their daughter, who was younger than Rapmon. He was more skeptical about this whole family thing… He didn't need another family ragging on him for not doing this and that, and he was also concerned that his ethnicity might get in the way as well… Hopefully, he'd be proven wrong.

"Just say what you want to say and be honest about it. I mean, this is an awesome opportunity! I'm actually really excited; I've always wanted a sibling!" Andy whispered to Damien excitedly from his left. Being a single child was definitely not all it was cracked up to be, and though this family was all the way in South Korea, he wanted to be as much of an older brother as possible to this family's son. He couldn't be happier about writing this email!

"Me too! And this family has a son and a daughter, both of them younger than me!" Aiden said as quietly as possible while still showing just as much excitement as Andy. He was loving this class already! He felt like he was gaining a completely different identity, and he liked that. It was all very intriguing to him.

Damien listened to everything the others had to say, but he still couldn't figure out what to write. Was he the only one that felt anxious about this? Andy was right… he should be honest about himself. But he didn't want to be in some aspects. With a heavy sigh, he finally began writing out his email, deciding to be honest while leaving a few things out. He just didn't know these people and therefore wasn't sure how comfortable he was with sharing things about himself.

The entire class finished with their emails in time for Professor Hill to begin going over the syllabus for the class, including the week-by-week schedule for lessons and due dates for assignments, his expectations for the class, and all of the other college standards that he needed to bring up. The emails and the syllabus combined took up the majority of the class time, and the students were let go a little bit early. The housemates all said their goodbyes before moving on to their next scheduled thing, be it work, another class, or a well deserved nap after a long first day.

As the evening hours rolled around, all of the housemates returned home for dinner that was prepared mostly by Jin, who had utilized the help of Evan to keep him from sleeping the rest of the day away. The rest of them, Rhodon, Aiden, Andy, and Rapmon, were all sitting at the dining table, discussing how their day had gone. Damien was nowhere in sight.

"I seriously don't get this man," Aiden stated. He placed his hands on his head to show his frustration. "It's the first day of class, and already he's more or less proving his true colors."

"What do you mean?" Andy asked from the seat beside Aiden. "Showing his true colors already?" Andy wasn't even sure if he knew who he was talking about, but Aiden seemed to be extremely stressed after just their first day.

"Truth be told, I really don't like him." Aiden crossed his arms. "Even the short time we spent with him for the advisor meeting, I could tell there was something off about him. He's just… Conceited? I don't know if that's a strong enough word…" He tapped his chin as he thought about it.

"Are you talking about Cox?" Evan asked, walking into the room carrying a pot. "Because I definitely have a few choice words about that man, too. But I won't say them because I don't want Jin to stare me down." He set the pot on the table with a potholder beneath it as to not damage the table.

Rapmon and Rhodon stifled their laughter, knowing very well that Jin would do more than stare him down… Speaking of Jin, the two of them had become quiet and straight-faced when he himself walked into the room. They didn't want to tip Evan off to his presence to see if he would keep talking.

"But I will say he's probably one of the most narcissistic, hypocritical, misogynistic and racist men I have ever met, and I-" Evan turned and came face to face with Jin, who was staring down at him with his arms crossed, hearing every word that had just come out of his mouth. He was definitely surprised to find him there, but he quickly glanced away as though not keeping eye contact would keep him safe from Jin's eyes. "Don't look at me like that, at least I'm not cussing him out."

Jin sighed and placed the plate of food he was carrying on the table. "While that is true, it's still not appropriate to talk about anyone that way, including your professor,"-He stirred the food in the pot a few times-"No matter what he is like."

Evan rolled his eyes and walked back to the kitchen. "You sound like you've never met a bigot before…"

"Jin is just an all around nice guy," Rhodon said with a smile. "Even if he does have bad things to say about people, he won't say them."

"I don't know about all that," Rapmon stated, and gestured to Rhodon from across the table. "You remember that time when-" He cut himself off when Jin left the room quickly, avoiding the conversation further, which made everyone at the table laugh.

"Since dinner is almost ready, do you think we should try and find Damien?" Andy asked, glancing around at the others. "Where is he anyway?" He hadn't seen Damien since the end of Korean class, but he figured he would be home.

"I think he's hiding in the room," Evan replied, bringing a stack of plates to the table. "Doing homework, most probably… Someone should get him. I'm done." He sat down at the table and leaned back in the chair. He wanted to be sleeping up until dinner was done, but he supposed that Jin asked for his help for a reason. "Text him, since that's the only way he asks us for anything."

Aiden was already on it, pulling his phone from his pocket and unlocking the screen with a swipe of his finger and a few taps on the screen. "There's many ways to learn how to do things…" He texted Damien quickly and adeptly. "Damien is just getting used to using his phone, I guess."

"I think he's trying to avoid face-to-face contact," Evan said and rubbed his face with his hands. He didn't quite buy that he was learning how to use his phone by texting them for everything…

The master bedroom's door opened in the hallway and Damien appeared not long after. He sat at the table, between Rhodon and the wall, which was the last seat available that wasn't at the head of the table. He remained quiet and vigilant.

"Everyone is here," Jin stated and sat down at the head of the table. He grabbed a few plates from the pile Evan had set down earlier and sent them down the table to be given to each housemate. Evan's laziness would never cease to amaze…"It sounds like everyone had a more or less productive first day."

"More or less," Rapmon agreed. "First days are always the most boring." He backtracked through his day, trying to find something that would be interesting to talk about, but he didn't think that talking about syllabi or supervising an introductory Japanese class would be noteworthy.

"Just lots of syllabi and awkward introductions…" Evan stayed leaned back in his chair. "Oh yeah, and the most crowded day in food service. Poor souls." He shook his head, silently thanking the heavens for sending Jin to be with them.

"Really? I thought food service was pretty okay," Andy said, staring at the food on the table. He wasn't sure about anyone else, but he was starving. For some reason, he just didn't want to start eating until someone else started first.

Jin took notice of the staring by several of the housemates and chuckled. "You guys can eat, you know." He gestured to the food, though he didn't mean to stop the conversation.

The housemates took no time in digging into the food on the table, and the conversation about food service continued with Evan's reply. "Just you wait, a month into it, you're going to be overjoyed to be able to have Jin's cooking… And you'll wish it could be every meal." He started to eat when he finished talking, no longer interested in having a conversation.

"Speaking of awkward…" Andy was also ready to move on from the food service conversation, though he was a bit skeptical of Evan's analysis of it. He pushed it aside, coming back to the previous things being said. "We need to start working on some speaking skills with Damien over here. He was the most awkward I have seen him in our GSTR class today… He seriously crumbles like a cookie under pressure!"

"I do not crumble under pressure… I was nervous is all. I'm sure everyone experiences it." Damien defended himself as he paused from eating to do so. Deep down inside, however, he actually agreed with Andy… He had never had a teacher before nor had he ever sat in a normal classroom before. Of course he was nervous… It was more than embarrassing too…

"But he's right Damien. Sooner or later you're going to have to speak in front of the class… We'll definitely have to work with you on your people skills." Jin commented with concern. Damien could get a bad grade on a presentation if he was too nervous to speak in front of the class.

"Speaking of people skills…" Evan cleared his throat and his fork down as he made eye contact with Damien, "Aiden bought you a phone for a reason, it's true… But he didn't get it for you so that you could avoid speaking to us in person. I think we can all agree that we want to get to know you, and we can't exactly do that just by communicating through a phone. So try and be a little more talkative with us, yeah?" he said before immediately returning to his food.

"I agree." Rapmon stated, being joined around the table by several nods, "And now that we've settled that… You worked at food service today didn't you? For lunch? How did you like it, considering it was so busy?" He was definitely curious because of all he had heard about working in dining service.

Damien hadn't expected to be given a small lecture from Evan, but he surprisingly took it rather well. He had been texting them to avoid face-to-face conversations, just as Evan had expected, but it was mostly because he had become extremely anxious about starting school. Being thrown into a social environment all of a sudden was very difficult on him. He offered a small smile and a nod of agreement to indicate that he would try and do as asked. He then turned his attention to Rapmon and shrugged in reply, "It wasn't… exactly what I had hoped. I mean, I've worked before, so I know not everything is what you expect, but… I don't know. What bothers me most is that my manager is that guy that you guys interviewed when Evan chased me. You remember him?"

A clattering of silverware could be heard from Evan's end as he dropped his fork on his plate and covered his face with his hands, groaning in frustration, "Please tell me you're not saying that Paul is your student manager…"

"Who else could it be?" Jin asked as he released a heavy sigh, "Unfortunately, you really can't do anything about that. It is what it is… Did he acknowledge you at all? I mean, did he say anything?"

Damien thought about it for a moment and then shrugged again, "I don't really remember. I think I was too busy trying to listen to what I was suppose to do because it was so busy."

"Just tell us if he gives you any trouble. All of us are at lunch at one time or another, so if you need to talk over a break or something, don't hesitate." Aiden spoke up seriously. He was still upset about the incident, just as Jin and Evan were. He hated that he had been so blind to Paul's real personality, and now that he would be Damien's student manager, he had become worried that he might harass him at work.

"Wait, who's Paul?" Andy asked in confusion, having noticed that Rapmon and Rhodon didn't know who he was either judging by the look on their faces. They were the only ones not present during that interview.

Evan shook his head in annoyance and picked up his fork once more. He wanted to say several things about Paul, but again kept his words to himself, "Don't worry about it… We'll explain it later. No need in spoiling good food by discussing this."

The group went quiet as they began to eat again after such an unsettling topic, but the silence was soon interrupted by the sound of a short, high pitched bell coming from Rhodon's pocket. As soon as he pulled the device out and read the notification with excitement evident in his facial expression, "I got an email back from my Korean family!" He looked around at the others, curious if they had gotten one too. "What about you guys? Did you guys start getting emails back?"

"Not yet," Rapmon replied. "But you should look at yours! It'll have your Korean name, right?" His friend's excitement made him smile, though he himself was excited to hear back from the family he had been given. The thing is, the current time was 7:30 p.m. in Berea, while in Korea, it was 12 hours ahead. That meant it was only early morning. Some people weren't up that early.

"Right." Rhodon grinned as he opened up the email and waited for it to load. All of the boys leaned over the table curiously, waiting to hear what Rhodon's Korean family had to say with complete curiosity. He read the entire email and kept the words for himself only, but it was obvious that he was happy, "Okay, I'm not reading the whole thing aloud, but in general they said they were happy to meet me and learn of who I am. They said that after looking over my picture and considering what I had to say about myself and all, they came up with a name for me to call my own… Jung Hos… Hoseok? I think that's how you pronounce it?" he said uncertainly, looking to Jin to confirm.

"Jung Hoseok?" Jin repeated, also confirming the pronunciation. He thought about it for a moment as he looked Rhodon over and then nodded with a smile, "I like it. I think they're right that it suits you. Just for your information, Jung is the family name, Ho is the generational name, and Seok is the personal name. It's actually really neat when you think about it."

The others were fascinated by the name that Rhodon had received from his Korean family, and it sparked their excitement to receive theirs as the night would go on. And it so happened that while Jin and Evan were cleaning up the table from dinner and doing the dishes, Andy received his email. He quickly pulled up his email and looked it over, trying not to bounce in his spot on the couch too much as he did so. "I got my email! They said they are glad to hear from me, and they gave me my name…" He read it over a few times, taking it in. "Park Ji-min! Sounds so cool!"

Aiden looked over his shoulder at the text of the email, being a bit of a snoop simply because he was interested. "Park Jimin… So, their entire family is Park? That's kinda cool." He leaned back into the seat, returning to his normal sitting position. "I can't wait to hear the rest of them; this is actually really awesome." He glanced at the rest of the housemates that were in the living room, since they had moved away from the dining table to stay out of the way of Jin and Evan while they were cleaning.

Other than the emails coming in one by one, the group was ignoring their first night's homework with other forms of entertainment because they could always do their homework tomorrow night instead. Once Evan and Jin had finished cleaning, Evan collapsed onto his stomach on the living room floor with his phone held in front of his face. "So we have a Park Jimin and a Jung Hoseok…Sounds pretty diverse so far." He was anxiously awaiting his email, and when Rapmon's arrived next, it made him even more impatient, "What's it say?"

"Hold on, lemme read what they said first," Rapmon said, eyes following the text on his screen while he scrolled. "They wrote a lot! I guess they were really excited to hear from me." He continued to read until he finished and scrolled back up to where they had given him his Korean name. "Kim Nam-joon." He nodded slowly, mulling the name over in his head. "I like it… Oh hey, wait, isn't Kim your family name, Jin?"

"It is. There are a lot of Kim families in Korea," Jin replied, looking up briefly from his 3DS. "Don't be surprised if a lot of the students in the class get Kim as their family names. Even so, it's a nice name. Just because the family name isn't uncommon doesn't mean your name isn't unique or cool." He looked back down at his game and got right back into it, though he still listened to the others while they conversed.

Damien felt a buzzing in his pocket, and though he was tempted to see what this notification was, he chose to ignore it. He had been anxious all day about hearing back from the Korean family he wrote to, and if the emails were going out now, he didn't feel ready to look at it quite yet. The phone remained in his pocket, even up until Evan received his email around 8:30.

"Finally," Evan breathed as he opened the email up. He rolled onto his back and held the phone above his face, a risky position, but he was getting numb from being on his stomach for that long. He read over the family's message to him, allowing a smile to form on his lips as he finished. "Min Yoon-gi," he said aloud, reading over the name they had given him.

"Jung, Park, Kim and Min…" Damien mused. "They all are so different… I wonder if we all have different family names except for Rapmon hyung and Jin hyung." He was curious, but he was still much too worried about his own email.

"Yeah! Hey, have you gotten yours yet hyung? You turned your sound off before class this morning, so maybe you've missed the notification?" Andy reminded Damien about the sound on his phone, smiling pleasantly.

Damien couldn't avoid it much longer, and he came to realize that he should pull his phone out to check his sound now that Andy had suggested it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen. The phone was notifying him of all the things he was missing, including an email. "Oh. I think you're right, Andy…" He opened up the phone hesitantly and worked his way to the email inbox. He really didn't want to look, but with his housemates now aware that he had it, he had no choice. Slowly he read over the message and almost immediately felt a bit of the tension easing from his body. They seemed nice enough… Unfortunately he wasn't entirely sure how to pronounce the name he was given. "Ah… Jin, is it Jey-on?"

Jin shut the 3DS so his game would pause. "Can I see?" He was glad that Damien had finally gotten his email and that he was asking for help on the pronunciation. He knew with an accent it may be hard to pronounce at first, but letting him know early would aid in changing that. When Damien showed the name to him he smiled. "Jeon. Do you have the rest?"

"Jeong-guk?" Damien looked up at him, pulling his phone back towards his chest. "Jeon Jeongguk." He glanced at the name again, a smile coming to his lips. "I like it, but… the last name is sort of difficult for me to pronounce… mainly because the 'g' in it is unusually rough.

"I kind of agree. It's a nice name, and obviously you'll use it during class. But… maybe you can sort of adjust the name in a way that we can all pronounce it easier." Evan suggested as he thought about a way of doing so. It was a good idea, but he didn't exactly know how to implement it.

"That's a little cheating, but I suppose using it only amongst ourselves wouldn't be a problem. Just as long as it's not a big change." Jin remarked uncertainly. He wouldn't allow for them to change the name up too much…

"Hey, I've got an idea." Rapmon spoke up as he rubbed his chin in thought, "You're having trouble pronouncing the last 'g' in the name right? Why don't you just change it to a 'k' to make the name 'Jungkook' instead. The only pronunciation difference is that one letter, so it still works. Plus it just so happens to mix in your last name." he pointed out.

Jin considered everything Rapmon had to say and then slowly nodded to confirm that the name was alright, "I'm only agreeing for this name to be used outside of class and among us. You still have to get use to your given name, both pronunciation and writing." he insisted. Professor Hill definitely wouldn't expect any less.

Damien nodded excitedly as he returned his eyes to the email to read it over again, excited about both of the names he just gained, as weird as it sounded. He was grateful yet still a little anxious about this opportunity and only hoped for the was starting to think that Korean class and the pen pal family wouldn't be so bad after all.

By the time 9:00 rolled around, Aiden was worried. He hadn't yet received his email, and it was almost time to get to bed. Out of all the housemates, he, Rapmon, Jin and Evan remained out in the living room, while the others were getting ready for bed. "Maybe they're able to get up later?" he mused, though he wasn't so sure. He was having a hard time convincing himself.

"I'm sure you'll get it before you go to sleep," Jin affirmed with a smile. "They may have been busy upon waking or during the morning hours. Don't worry too much. They haven't forgotten about you." He was now reading over a page in a book that seemed to be for a class.

Aiden nodded and returned to scrolling on Facebook, knowing he could get lost in the endless news-feed until the email would come through. He stifled a laugh at a picture he thought was funny and then proceeded to share it to his own profile. This was done several times while he waited.

Evan sat up from his spot on the floor and rolled his neck, his phone in his hand with the screen off. "The floor is only comfortable for such a short amount of time…" He shook out his hands after setting the phone on the floor, trying to regain feeling in them.

"There are plenty of spots on the couch," Rapmon stated, looking over at him. "You decided not to move from the floor. Thus, you tortured yourself." He leaned back, his phone in his lap.

Evan was going to reply, but he was cut off by a shrill sound from Aiden's phone and the boy's excitement. "Finally!" Aiden quickly switched to the email app to read his Korean family's email to him with an extreme amount of attention. "Kim Tae-hyung…. Hyung is already in my name!"

"/That's/ the first thing you notice," Evan commented, laughing. "It's a nice name. But that's it, right? Everyone has their names now?" He got off of the floor and stood tall, shoving his phone into his pocket before shaking his hands once more.

Jin nodded and closed the book in his hands. "That's everyone. How exciting…You'll need to remember them, so try to commit it to memory as soon as possible." He stood up from the couch and tucked the book under his arm. He, and the others, went to their respective rooms in order to get ready for the night and prepare for the next school day. He wasn't sure why, but he was extremely pleased that all of them were so happy about receiving their emails and names… Somehow he felt proud, and he was looking forward to the days to come, particularly in Korean class.

Over the next few weeks, the housemates all became accustomed to their Korean names, as well as the Korean class and their professor. They began to use their given names more frequently than their American names as they became more comfortable with the usage and the culture and history behind the language. Learning about the country, the people, the traditions and cultures helped them all feel more connected to the names they were given, as well as the families they were speaking to. They were sending phrases and words they were learning in Hangeul to their families to show them what they were learning during each week, and there was always an "email test" where they would answer questions they were asked by their family, and they would be graded on their answers. It was enjoyable to them. During this time, Jin began to introduce them to an array of Korean artists, from soloist singers and instrumentalists, to the biggest names in Korean Pop, such as Big Bang and SHINee. They grew to like them quickly, and they especially caught Evan's eye. He was interested in their sound more than anything.

On Saturday, at the end of those first two weeks, five of the housemates had a plan to carry out on this particular day, September 1st. They started earlier in the morning, about 8:00am, talking and prepping.

"It's nice of you to be up so early to help us, Yoongi-hyung…We know how much sleeping in on the weekends means to you," Hoseok said with a grin. It took almost a group effort to make him wake up, and as much as he had been reluctant to leave his bed, he joined them anyway.

"Yeah, yeah…" Yoongi yawned and rubbed at his eyes. "Just tell me what I need to do so I can figure out if I can sleep more or not…" He truly did want to help, but in his sleepy state, he was a little more than easily irritated. He sighed, trying to compose himself to act a bit more proper.

"We have to get Jungkook and Namjoon out of the house," Jin stated from his seat at the bar, tapping a pencil against the counter. "But I'm not sure what we can tell them to get them to leave, since one or two of us will probably have to take them out to make it believable."

"Well don't send me, I don't think that will be believable…" Yoongi muttered and laid his head on the counter. "Why not the maknae? Maybe they can go walk around Berea for a little while."

Taehyung perked up hearing 'maknae'. "I wouldn't mind," he said with a smile. "I would like to look at the stores down there, but I don't know if that gives you guys enough time to set everything up, though… I can take him and Namjoon hyung to Hastings. This place is awesome. I think he and Jungkookie hyung will really like it. And that will leave Hoseok-hyung here with his car so you guys can go out and get what you need." Taehyung had already started giving little nickname changes to his roommates. At first they were just to mess with them, but it wasn't long before he started using these nicknames occasionally just out of habit.

Jimin looked like he wanted to speak, but he was interrupted by Yoongi before he could formulate his words.

"Will that get him out of the house?" Yoongi asked while running his fingers through his hair. He was worried that their plans would fall flat, since they didn't really have a plan B. Would they really be able to convince Jungkook and Namjoon to leave the house just to go to a store?

"I can be persuasive when I have to be," Taehyung said with a grin. "Don't worry about it, I think we can get them out without a problem. There's plenty there they will like, and with all the Disney and Star Wars we've been watching with Jungkookie hyung, he'll find a lot to nerd out over. It'll just be up to you guys to get everything set up. And to keep us updated on when we can return."

Jin nodded as he scribbled something on the piece of paper on the counter. "I'm currently writing a list for the last minute things I need at the store, including the cake. I put the order in for it yesterday, so that it would be completed today. I hope to have you guys pick it up when you are getting the other supplies. We already have all of the gifts, so that's not an issue…" He looked up at the housemates. "I think this will be a success. We just have to start step one to get the birthday boys out of the house."

Taehyung grinned, "Leave it to me."

Jimin smiled sheepishly, finding that he was able to speak finally. "Actually, we have plans to go to the gym this morning…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I think that would keep Jungkook away long enough, I'll just have to try and convince him to shower at the gym."

Yoongi grinned as an idea popped into his head, and it seemed as though life was coming to his sleepy eyes. "I think something happened to the hot water in the house…" He looked over at Tae. "Where's your hot water heater? I've done this a million times to my siblings for spending too much time in the shower..."

Taehyung snapped his fingers and pointed to Yoongi, proud of his housemate for making such a great impression, "Yes! Or as Jungkookie hyung would say, 'brilliant'! I'll go turn it off before I forget." he said as he turned on his heel to leave for the basement. However, he paused on his way and glanced back at Yoongi, questioning whether or not he himself should be the one doing it, "Uh… Yoongi hyung, you want to do it? I mean, it was your idea, you know?" he asked uncertainly.

Yoongi chuckled and pushed himself off his chair, getting a burst of energy from this incentive he suddenly had. If this didn't work to get Jungkook to take a shower at the gym, he didn't know what would. Without another moment to waste, he followed Taehyung to the basement to turn off the hot water, leaving the others to discuss the next matter at hand.

"Okay, so you've got Jungkook covered, right Jimin? You two are usually out until 11:30 or so, aren't you?" Jin asked him as he tried to figure out whether or not that was a good time. "The thing is, we want him here no earlier than noon. His brother said he couldn't be on skype until 5:00 p.m. his time. So, try and stall him as much as possible. Maybe you can say you want to exercise more than usual this time. Or perhaps you can be slow in leaving this morning." he suggested uncertainly.

Jimin considered this for a moment and then shook his head, "No, I don't think I can stall him. He and I have a routine we follow. You know this, hyung. You workout with us two days of the week." he pouted as he realized Jin should already know this information, "I can definitely take longer getting ready this morning. I'm sure he'll be understanding if I make up a story about not sleeping well last night or something."

"Alright, so Jungkook is taken care of… What about Namjoon hyung?" Hoseok asked as he took Yoongi's seat at the bar. If he wasn't there anymore, that meant it was open right? "Both of them know we're throwing a party sometime this week right? Jungkook thinks it's later in the week for Namjoon hyung, and Namjoon hyung thinks it's later tonight for Jungkook."

"Right. So then… wait. We said we needed to grab a few last minute things right? Maybe Taehyung can just take Namjoon with him to the store to get them if he already knows a party is going to happen." Jimin suggested but soon he shook his head and groaned, "Never mind. Going to the store wouldn't be enough time, and even if it was, we need that stuff before Namjoon hyung and Jungkook hyung get here…" Why was this so difficult?

"What do you mean going to a store wouldn't be enough time? You've never been to Costco, have you?" Taehyung asked as he returned to the group with Yoongi at his side, having completed their first mission. "I've got Namjoonie hyung covered. I've been wanting to go to Costco again for a while now, and I've got my membership card so there's nothing stopping us! Plus, the store is 40 minutes away, so that's plenty of time. You guys should get what you need for the party; I'll just have Namjoon hyung grab a few snacks he likes, and we'll just have extra." he assured them.

Yoongi was more than disappointed to find that his seat was taken by Hoseok, but he dealt with it now that they were almost done with coming up with the plans, "Alright, it sounds like we've got it all sorted out, right? If so, then I'm going back to bed. Hey, Jimin? Don't forget to turn off your alarm and act as though you're still sleeping when Jungkook tries to wake you up. Just be really slow." he reminded him.

"You can count on me, hyung. No way am I going to be the reason this fails." Jimin laughed before returning his eyes to Jin, "So that's it, right?"

"Yeah, that's all. The rest of it we can deal with when those two are out of the house. Oh, and try your best to communicate with each other about what's going on. You all have to walk in at the same time. Good luck to you both. " Jin stated, jokingly passing it off as a life and death situation. He was actually really excited for today, considering it was the first birthday party they were holding in their household.

The group dispersed and either went back to sleep or only returned to their rooms to hang out until they felt like leaving. Jin was the only one who stayed out in the living room, just to make sure that all of the plans were working accordingly. Sure enough, as the time began to pass and the clock reached 9:15, a second alarm sounded from the master bedroom, blaring from Jungkook's phone to wake him up for his morning workout with Jimin after he had already hit snooze once. It wasn't until he looked at the time that he realized he actually really needed to get up or else they would be completely off schedule. Like clockwork, the plan begun to unfold with Jimin taking his sweet time in getting up and Taehyung knocking on Namjoon's door to ask him to join him to go to Costco. Everything was working exactly as they had hoped thus far, even though Jungkook threatened to leave Jimin if he didn't get out of bed. He was thankfully given another chance once he was up and getting ready.

With the two birthday boys out of the house, the three remaining housemates got to work on setting up the decorations and placing the presents in the proper places. Hoseok left for walmart to purchase the rest of the necessities and soon returned to help finish setting up. Hopefully Taehyung wouldn't allow Rapmon to buy too much…

As noon approached, Jin, Yoongi, and Hoseok became anxious at the thought that one of them might show up before the other. They didn't want to spoil the surprise for one of them because of such a small mistake… Taehyung had texted that they were on their way back about 40 minutes ago, which had them concerned that he and Namjoon would arrive without any sign of Jimin and Jungkook. Jimin had texted that their workout was done 15 minutes ago, but apparently he had forgotten to text when they left the gym. So with Yoongi watching for any sign of them out the window from behind a curtain, Jin set up his computer to pull up Skype and Hoseok made sure everything else was in order.

"Guys, I see Jungkook and Jimin coming down the street." Yoongi announced as he pulled out his phone, "I don't see Namjoon and Taehyung anywhere, so I'll text Jimin to-" he cut himself off as he looked up again to find that Taehyung's car was alongside Jimin and Jungkook as the two of them began jogging beside it, "Never mind; they're all here! Phew… I really thought we were going to be screwed. You guys ready?" he asked as he moved from the window and checked to see that the others were ready for their entrance.

"Yeah, almost. Skype is being a little slow. Hopefully they will all talk a bit before coming inside so I can get this to work." Jin replied as he clicked on a friend request from Dominic and tried to start up the video chat.

Sure enough, as soon as Taehyung parked the car, Namjoon exited the car and questioned Jimin and Jungkook as to what they were doing, "Aren't ya'll a little late? You usually get back around 11:00 or so, don't you?" It was just odd to see them coming home at this time…

"Don't blame me! Jimin took forever doing EVERYTHING this morning! He slept past the alarm, he was slow getting out of bed, he took his time in the lavatory, and then he decided that we would jog and workout longer than usual. Oh, and he complained to me saying, 'hyung, we have to take showers at the gym because we don't have hot water at the house', and even though I told him a cold shower wasn't a big deal, he insisted that we shower at the gym. Jimin threw my entire schedule off by an hour!" Jungkook complained as he gently pushed Jimin to emphasize his so-called anger, though he was laughing as he did so. Jimin was just driving him crazy this morning.

"Don't be like this, hyung. Even though you said you could handle a cold shower, I know you wouldn't have liked it. I insisted for your own well-being! Besides, I can't help that I've been lazy this morning; I didn't sleep well, like I've said about 20 times already!" Jimin claimed as he laughed it off as well.

"Wow, Jimin, it sounds like you've successfully driven him crazy." Rapmon chuckled as he walked up to the two younger housemates with Taehyung behind him, "What's sad is that you allowed Jungkook to get up before you, and that takes skill that I thought only Yoongi had." he grinned before leading the way to the front door with a shake of his head. Today was definitely interesting… The last thing he had expected to do this morning was go to Costco, a large store that he had never been to but actually liked. The thing is, usually the housemates would make the plans at least the night before, but he guessed this was just a spur of the moment decision.

"If it's something Jungkook hyung likes, he gets up easier than he does otherwise, in my defense." Jimin argued as Taehyung gestured for Jungkook to follow after Namjoon.

Namjoon opened his mouth to reply as he opened the door, but before anything could leave his mouth, loud singing and shouting greeted them with the tune of "Happy Birthday", and he had to admit… it definitely surprised him. He was expecting the birthday party tonight, but that was for Jungkook! Why didn't they tell him that they changed the time? He was… confused. That is until Hoseok practically tackled him to place a headband with pikachu ears on his head while Jungkook himself was dubbed with Mickey Mouse ears by Yoongi. Yoongi looked a little too excited to tackle Jungkook and force the headband onto him…

Jungkook was… slightly terrified at first, shocked, happy, and somewhat emotional. He didn't expect any birthday celebration at all, even though they had been planning Namjoon's. He was aware that the group had known Namjoon for a much longer time, so he held no suspicion for a party of his own birthday as well. What made things worse was that Jin was recording everything! And even his own brother was on Skype singing with them to congratulate the birthdays! Everything at once just sparked a few tears to fall from Jungkook's eyes, and he was quick to try and leave the house and hide himself from the others to escape the embarrassment. Unfortunately for him, Yoongi caught him before he could try and get past Jimin and Taehyung and a headband of sorts was placed upon his head.

Yoongi grinned proudly at himself for completing the deed, that is until he noticed Jungkook was trying to wipe tears away with the sleeves of his sweater. His facial expression became a little more serious, but he was aware that Jungkook wasn't crying because he was upset, so he made sure not to get too serious, "Hey, come on... Don't fight to get away; there's no way we set up all of these decorations for nothing." he joked a little. He was grateful that Jungkook was at least still smiling, "You didn't think we'd forget you, did you, Jungkookie?" he pat his shoulder in a comforting way and then pointed at the laptop that sat on the nearby breakfast bar, "Go talk to your brother, will ya? He's been waiting to see you."

As Jungkook finished getting rid of his tears and allowed Yoongi to lead him to the computer, Namjoon was still laughing off the fact that the group had tricked him, "You guys… you guys actually got me. I was really wondering why you didn't tell me the time for the party had changed, but man… that was actually good, I'll admit. Were these ears really necessary though?" he laughed as he took the headband off and looked them over before eyeing Hoseok, "This was your doing wasn't it? I haven't been able to play much Pokemon yet this semester, so it had to be you."

"Of course it was me, and they are completely necessary. I thought I was doing you a favor by allowing you to be one with your favorite Pokemon." Hoseok laughed as he urged him to put them back on, "You've got to wear them, just like Jungkook has to wear his. They're your birthday hats!"

"Alright, alright, but only for the time being." Namjoon shook his head as he put them on and looked over to Jin who had just turned off the camera he was recording with. He approached the eldest and then quietly questioned him to make sure he was correct, "Jungkook said he was turning 18 right?" Jin nodded to confirm that Jungkook had said so. Namjoon thanked him and then approached the other birthday boy who was congratulating his twin brother over skype himself. Once the two of them had stopped talking for a split second, Namjoon joined into the conversation, "So how do you guys feel being 18 now? Finally adults, for the most part, huh?"

Jungkook's face froze with that deer-in-the-headlights look, and he nervously bit his lip as he tried to figure out what to say because at that very moment his twin was already spilling the secret he had kept for the past three weeks that he was actually the youngest.

"18? Nah, we're not there yet. We've still got another year, but hey, one year closer!" Dominic replied with excitement, which soon faded away once he noticed the expressions every single person on the other end of skype. "Uh… Did I say something wrong? Why does everyone look so serious?" Needless to say, he felt very confused… Why did Damien look so guilty?

"You…" Jimin began as he looked around with the same happy frustration that Jungkook had earlier outside the house as he searched for something to throw at the boy. He spotted a bowl of party crackers nearby and was all too eager to grab a handful of the crackers and throw them at him one by one, "How dare you lie to me! I trusted you! My life has been a lie the past 3 weeks with every 'hyung' that left my mouth for you!" He shouted, soon running out of crackers in his hand to throw. He then pulled the mickey mouse ears off his head and pointed at him with them, "You don't even deserve these ears! Mickey isn't a liar!"

Jungkook raised his hands and arms to block himself from the dangerous flying crackers, but he was laughing uncontrollably because of Jimin's reaction. He didn't expect this reaction at all! He expected them to be mad! Of course, he sounded frustrated, but not the angry kind of frustrated that he had expected.

The others were laughing at Jimin as well and watched as he suddenly picked Jungkook up and carried him over to the couch to pretend to beat him up, "3 WEEKS!" he repeated as the others joined in to torture the real youngest.

"Excuse us for one minute, Dominic. It's time for us to maim the real maknae." Yoongi stated seriously to the twin before joining the housemates, "But guys, seriously, wasn't it obvious? I knew it from the very beginning. I've always called him kid, haven't I?" he insisted as he allowed them to wrestle with the youngest who was squirming to get out of their grip and begging for Yoongi or Jin to help since they were the only two not attacking him.

"Hey, you put yourself in this situation. Yoongi and I seem to be the only ones who weren't convinced. Then again… Taehyung. Aren't you mad that you've been called maknae this entire time? I mean… you could have been of slightly higher status." Jin asked skeptically.

Taehyung was busy struggling to keep Jungkook's arms behind his back as he sat on his upper back to assist Jimin, Namjoon, and Hoseok in pinning him down so he couldn't run. Of course four people weren't completely necessary, but it was more fun this way. "Huh? Oh… To be honest I knew all along. I was hoping you guys would find evidence to prove it wrong, but you never did. I mean, Dominic had to tell you guys, which is pretty funny." he commented before looking down at Jungkook who had given up on fighting, "Speaking of which, it is really weird seeing another you on the Skype screen."

"Sorry Dominic, we'll have your brother back in just a sec!" Hoseok exclaimed as he was reminded that Dominic was kind of being left out at this point.

"Jimin, get off my legs, they're going numb!" Jungkook shouted as he even tried to get Taehyung off of his back again, failing once more.

"Jeon Jeongguk! I swear if you don't start calling me hyung, we're going to have issues!" Jimin laughed and immediately jumped off of his legs and gestured for Namjoon to take his place before sitting in front of Jungkook and flicking him in the forehead, "Who am I?"

"Ouch! I'm sorry! It's a habit!" Jungkook cried out, though he was still trying to stop grinning.

"Who am I? Say it!" Jimin insisted, flicking him again.

"Hyung! Hyung! Okay there I said it!" Jungkook replied, his eyes closed tightly every time he was flicked.

"There, wasn't that easy? It sounds completely right now, too, doesn't it? Don't you feel better calling me hyung?" Jimin grinned, basking in his higher level of status now that Jungkook was demoted.

"It would feel a lot better if I wasn't being squished by three people." Jungkook groaned, "Can't you guys take it easy?"

"Alright, alright, we need him alive. I think he gets the point now." Jin chuckled as he gestured for them all to get off of him, "Though I am disappointed… All that working out and yet they still pinned you to the ground. You're slacking Jungkook…"

"I didn't know I was working out to lift three or four people…" Jungkook huffed as Taehyung finally released him so he could breathe properly. He took Jin's outstretched hand and allowed him to assist him to his feet. He then returned to the computer to converse with his brother once more. "Sorry about that, the people here are just a little bit crazy."

"A little bit?" Namjoon asked, pretending to be offended by his remark as he and the others joined Jungkook at the computer.

"Yeah, I can tell," Dominic commented with a laugh. "I hate to cut the call short, but I am kind of pressed for time. Is there any way we can do the present opening now?" He of course wanted to stay longer for his brother's birthday, but he unfortunately had a prior engagement with a group of work friends for his own birthday celebration.

"Yeah, of course we can!" Jimin wrapped his arm around Jungkook's shoulders and placed the Mickey Mouse ears back upon his head. "I guess you can have this back now…I don't entirely forgive you, but you can't open the presents without them."

Hoseok grabbed the package that was addressed "to Damien, from Dominic" that had arrived two days prior, and he handed it to Jungkook. "We'll have you open Dominic's first, then, in case he has to go before we're finished."

"You should open yours now too, Dominic," Jungkook said as he took hold of the package Hoseok gave him. "That way we can open them at the same time." This was their first present exchange in which they spent money on each other due to their lack of employment when they still lived together. This fact made them equally nervous and excited at the same time.

Dominic nodded and picked up the box that he had sitting next to him at the desk, and eagerly unwrapped the present simultaneously with Jungkook. He was overjoyed to find a deflated European football sitting snugly inside the box with a small air pump beside it. Dominic had been wanting a new football for a while now because the ball they had been using had become well worn.

Just as Dominic was pulling out his gift, Jungkook was excitedly pulling out the sketchbook and drawing pencils that sat inside his box. He had been hoping to buy a new sketchbook in a few weeks because his old one was filled up, so he was definitely grateful for the gift. "How'd you know I needed one of these? I ran out of pages in my last one just recently…" He questioned as he flipped through the blank pages.

"Come on, I've lived with you for how many years? I know how quickly you run through sketchbooks. Anyhow, thanks for the ball! I can't wait to use it, especially when you get back!" Dominic responded with a grin as he placed the items back in the box. "I might even get my friends to play with me later."

"Okay, okay! Open this one!" Jimin grabbed a wrapped box, about the same dimensions of a cereal box, and shoved it into Jungkook's hands when the previous box was set aside. "This one is from all of us, but it was Yoongi hyung's idea. Jin hyung was a little against it, but we got him on our side….eventually."

Jungkook hesitantly took the package. He was worried because 1) Yoongi hyung picked it out, and 2) Jin hyung was against it. Nonetheless he proceeded to open up the present, and as an embarrassed grin fell upon his face, he placed the box under his seat. "Noo this is so unnecessary! For the last time, I do not crumble like a cookie!" The gift was a box of Cookie Crisp, which had the C at the beginning of Cookie crossed out and replaced with a K.

"Turn the box over! You have to read it!" Jimin grabbed the box and shoved it back into his arms.

Jungkook's eyes quickly skimmed over the message on the back, written messily in black Sharpie. It read: "Here's to your graduation to taking a shower during the day 3 your Hyungs". This time, he let out an embarrassed laugh as he once again placed the box under his seat and then hid his face in his hands.

"I've been doing that for a while now!" Jungkook stated in defense of himself.

"According to your roommates and my keen sense of hearing, you've been setting your alarm earlier in the mornings to prepare for school now that you're not getting up to take your shower in the middle of the night. And I'm pretty sure that just started last week," Yoongi stated matter of factly.

"For the record, the only reason I didn't agree to this is because it's a sugary cereal…Which, you don't need with being an athlete…" Jin informed him, completely agreeing with Yoongi's statement. He, and the others, were glad that Jungkook had become comfortable enough to take a shower at a more normal time of the day.

"You did what? You don't take showers during the day? What do you do, get up at 3am to shower?" Dominic asked incredulously, though he couldn't help but laugh.

"Actually, that's exactly what he did…And every time I approached him about it after he'd finish his shower he'd give me an innocent look and go back to bed…Trust me, he's a strange kid," Yoongi said as he nudged Jungkook with his elbow.

"Wow…That's definitely weird," Dominic stated and glanced to the side. "Oh, hey. I just got a text from one of my friend's saying that they're almost here, so I should probably go so I can finish getting ready. I hope you enjoy the rest of your birthday, and that your friend will enjoy his too! See ya later!" With Jungkook's farewell to his brother, the Skype call ended.

Jungkook was a little disappointed to see his brother go, but he understood that his brother had plans. He was quick to turn to Namjoon and pointed to the pile of presents on the table that were labeled for him, "You should open something of yours."

Hoseok picked up one of the presents and handed it to Namjoon. "Open this one first." The package had a strange, bulky shape, with a circular bottom and a square top, unlike anything he had seen before.

"This is another gag gift, isn't it?" Namjoon asked, taking the gift with a grin and the shake of his head. "You guys are too much…"

"This is not a gag gift, this is serious! You need these things. They're almost essential to your life. No, definitely essential," Taehyung stated with as serious a face as he could muster.

Namjoon exchanged an uncertain glance with Taehyung before ripping the wrapping paper, and a little of something else too. Inside the wrappings were a roll of silver duct tape and a box of Pikachu Band-Aids sitting on top. He stared at the presents with confusion. "What is this?"

Jungkook pointed at the roll of duct tape and looked up at Namjoon with a confused look on his face. Did he really not know? "Well, I'm pretty sure this is used to fix every little thing you break in the world around you…" He then pointed to the Band-Aids, "and these are used to cover up the injuries you inflict upon yourself when you're a little too clumsy."

Namjoon stared at Jungkook with a blank expression. "Thanks, Kookie Crisp, I think I've got the picture." He laughed and looked over the gifts again, shaking his head once more. "Seriously…" The plastic wrap on the roll of duct tape was ripped along with the wrapping paper.

"You're the only person I know that could rip open that packaging successfully without knowing it," Taehyung commented with a laugh. "Seriously, how did you manage that?"

"Alright, alright, let's stop teasing each other and get the rest of these presents opened." Jin laughed as he handed the next box to Jungkook. It was slightly heavy in the hands. "This one is also from all of us. I think you'll appreciate it more than the cereal."

Jungkook took the box and also felt the weight of it. "I really hope it's not just another gag gift..." he grinned and tilted the box back and forth and listened as whatever it was inside slid in the direction he held it. He was honestly curious now, since it didn't seem like another Yoongi hyung inspired gift. He opened the wrapping paper and the box was revealed. It was an alarm clock, which was themed Mickey Mouse in red, black and yellow, and had metal "ears" at the top just like the ones on his head. He smiled while he looked the box over.

"We think that maybe an actual alarm clock will help you wake up in the morning," Yoongi stated, pointing at the design of the clock. "It's metal and loud. It'll disturb your roommates but maybe it'll be enough to get you up, too."

Jungkook nodded in response. "Yeah, that is something I need to work on… I can't help I'm a heavy sleeper! But thank you, guys. I do appreciate it."

Jimin was already handling the next gift for Namjoon, and once Jungkook finished his thanks, he handed it over. "Okay, I promise it's not a gag gift either. We thought you might actually like this."

Namjoon took the very small, wrapped object and opened it up like a letter, and pulled a Starbucks gift card out. "Oh, sweet! You guys are the best!" He looked it over, seeing how much it was for. "Seriously the best! I hope you guys didn't just get this for me so you could reap the benefits of it."

The housemates all laughed and enjoyed seeing their reactions to the rest of their gifts as the party went on. Jungkook ended up with everything Mickey Mouse themed, including a bed sheet set and a t-shirt. Namjoon's gifts included a journal, a plush Pokeball, and a few articles of clothing. Both guys were satisfied with their gifts and gave everyone their thanks when the session was over.

"Well, since we're already having so much fun, we can move onto the games! I think you guys will like this one..." Taehyung made his way to the window to peek out at the weather conditions. He knew it was supposed to rain, though he wasn't sure when, so he wanted to check how the sky was looking. Outside rain really was falling, not hard enough to make a harsh sound, but enough to keep them indoors. "Ah no, it's raining..." He went to the living room instead and turned on the TV. He had his laptop set up on the table in front of it, and when the TV came to life, it showed the background of his laptop. "We were going to play some soccer, since I know that a lot of you guys like it… But I don't think we should do that in the rain. Yoongi hyung and I talked about what we should do in case that happened, and we came up with karaoke! Don't worry, you can choose your own songs." He pulled YouTube up from his computer.

The others followed him to the living room. Yoongi flopped onto the couch and stared at the screen. "Don't be shy…It's not like we'll be judging you or anything. It's just for fun. I'll even do it too to make you all feel better about yourselves."

"Sounds like fun! How about we have the birthday boys go first?" Hoseok suggested excitedly as he watched Taehyung bring up Youtube on the television. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be the first to participate in this sort of thing, so he was perfectly willing to give up the first attempt to someone else.

"Um… no, I don't think so. I'm not really a singer. Taehyung should go first since he suggested it." Jungkook replied uncertainly as he moved to the back of the group. He didn't really mean it as a lie… What he meant was that he didn't sing in front of people. He enjoyed singing quite a bit, but he never did it with others, unless it was with his brother of course.

"Wait… who just said that?" Namjoon questioned as his eyes searched for Jungkook among the group, knowing fully well who said it but making a point to correct him, "Jungkook, get over here. Come on..." he gestured for the youngest to return to the front of the group to sing. Jungkook obviously didn't want to listen to his hyung; he was nervous and wanted nothing to do with this at the moment. Still, the others pushed him to the front so that he stood next to Namjoon, and as he ruffled his hair and looked away, Namjoon spoke up to assure him of his skills, "You remember that day all of us were going out to the store and left you behind to do homework? I'm pretty sure you thought you were by yourself, and you were supposed to be, but I decided to stay behind because I had a few things I wanted to take care of. Anyway, when you took a break from your studies, you were singing all around the house when you were grabbing yourself something from the kitchen. I heard you, and you can't deny it. I don't know what the song was, but your voice was really good. So why don't you give it a shot?"

"Y-You were- Why didn't you say something, hyung? You sound like a complete creep!" Jungkook complained, suddenly embarrassed by the fact that Namjoon had overheard him and was barging in on his privacy.

"You sing in the bathroom sometimes, too, you know. You can't hide your talents forever." Taehyung pointed out with a grin, "Go on, we'll sing with you if you want." he suggested, hoping that would help him get out of his shell.

"Wait, what are we going to sing then? Is there a song that has a lot of parts?" Jimin asked as he stared at the YouTube page in front of them. There were many suggestions given, so maybe they could just choose from one of them… "Are there any that you know, Hyu- ahem, Jungkook." he fixed himself with a groan.

Jungkook laughed a little at Jimin and lifted his eyes to the screen and scanned all of the choices he had at the moment, and once he found one he knew, he pointed to it excitedly, "This one. I REALLY like this one." he said as he stepped back for the others to see.

"Bohemian Rhapsody? Does everyone know that one? Wait… how do YOU know that one?" Jin asked as he offered Jungkook a confused look. He was under the impression that their maknae only knew Owl City and perhaps a few other innocent artists, but Queen? How in the world…?

"I have a computer now, hyung. It's been three weeks, and I've had the ability to look into more music now. And uh… Hyung showed it to me." Jungkook replied as he pointed at Taehyung who was busy pulling up the lyric video, "It's a great song!"

"Yeah, give him a break, hyung. It's a good one, coming from Tae. Besides, I'm pretty sure all of us know it; it's a classic!" Yoongi commented as he looked to the others only to receive a unanimous nod from all of them. "See? Alright, let's get this thing on the role. Who wants to sing what?"

"Well, Taehyung seems to be good at the lower notes, and Jimin seems to be good with higher notes… So why don't you guys take those harmonies. As for me, I'm pretty good being the in between. Jin, why don't you do the main for the first verse? And Jungkook, you can do the second verse since you're a little nervous, okay? Yoongi, you're… well, I'm not sure if you sing or not. Do you sing?" Namjoon turned to the second oldest, unsure as to where his skills lie.

"Can I get the guitar part? I'll just dominate the air guitar, you know?" Yoongi said with a shrug, he wasn't particularly great at singing, but he didn't mind doing it now and then. He just knew there weren't that many parts available, and he really wanted to play air guitar. Just saying.

"I'm with Yoongi hyung on this one. Oh, and we'll need an announcer, too." Hoseok grinned comically as he quickly grabbed three fake, plastic microphones that were bought for party, "We only have three, so let's give two to the soloists, and then give the third one to the announcer." he said eagerly.

"I'll be the announcer. I'm pretty sure I was destined to be a radio host." Yoongi said plainly as he gestured for Hoseok to hand him a mic. As soon as he had it in hand, he cleared his throat and gestured for Hoseok to be ready to press play. He didn't do the large, booming announcements so often heard, but he was still not as bad as some of them had expected. Though… he still sounded a little bored as he was doing it. Or… maybe it was just the fact he was being lazy with his words, as per usual, "Alright… It's a big day over here in Berea, KY as we celebrate two of our new stars' birthdays, but now this new group has decided to treat us, their biggest fans, with the performance of a lifetime... Singing one of their favorite tunes, Bohemian Rhapsody, they will be showing us their hidden talents like never before… So without anymore delay- guys, stop with the looks and get into the mood; I'm not playing- here's our idols of Berea." he said as he dropped the mic on the couch and sat beside it as he waited for his time to come and queued for Hoseok to play the song.

Yoongi listened carefully as the song began. It wasn't a mistake that he had asked Taehyung to insist on Karaoke… He knew at least some of them held some sort of singing talent, and he wanted to know who had it in them. He had never heard Jungkook sing, even though it was said that he sung in the bathroom occasionally. He had never heard Jin hyung sing either, even though he knew he enjoyed doing so. What was his purpose of hearing their talents? He didn't know the answer to that question… But he was eager to hear their voices, and this was his chance. Once he realized that there was piano playing, he quickly snapped away from his thoughts and began to play an imaginary piano, though his concentration was more fixed on the others when they began to sing.

He had to admit… the first few notes were really shaky with their harmony. He could easily compare it to dying cows, and it seemed as though Jin hyung, Hoseok and Jungkook agreed considering they were stifling their laughs. Once they adjust to each other, however, he was pleased to find that their singing actually could match up, even with their diverse styles. With practice, they could easily work well together. When it was Jin's turn, Yoongi's attention was peaked.

Jin had an amazing voice. It was gentle and mature, and though there were a few pronunciation differences between his speech and native English speakers' speech, it somehow sounded more at ease in Yoongi's opinion. He sounded like he had had vocal lessons at some point, and that was saying something… Jin actually seemed to be serious about this whole karaoke thing instead of messing around as he had expected them to do. Perhaps he wanted to tell the others through his singing that he wanted them to give their all as well. Yoongi was definitely not disappointed.

Again, the harmonies with Jin's voice added were shaky in the beginning, but with hard work, they all adjusted to each other and were able to remain in sync, while being quite dramatic at the same time. Taehyung especially seemed to be getting into his character. Alright, Jungkook's turn…

Jungkook was timid in his singing at first, but as he went on and the others gestured for him to sing out, he gradually became used to the spotlight and gave his all. What… what even was this household? Yoongi couldn't understand how, statistically, of all people to be brought together, these particular individuals just happened to be extremely talented. Jungkook's voice seemed to be completely natural to the current octave being sung. It was smooth and… well, he really didn't know how else to describe it. His voice was unlike he had ever heard before, and the more he heard all of them sing, the more a thought began to sink its way into his mind…

"Hey, hey, hey, Yoongi hyung! You're missing the guitar solo!" Hoseok exclaimed as he went ahead and did it himself, holding his left hand out on the invisible arm of the guitar as his right hand strummed on the invisible strings. He even decided to put his own vocals into the guitar playing just to add to the fun. Though, he soon realized that he couldn't bring his voice as high as he thought he could and ended up sounding like a dying cat once the guitar hit its highest point. Everyone just laughed with him when it was over until they realized the piano started becoming intense to signal that it was about time to sing again.  
"Oh, oh, oh, I'll take this part!" Taehyung said excitedly as he quickly jumped into the next solo part as the song picked up its pace. Alright, now was the time that the group was finally becoming its goofy self. They stopped trying… Yoongi couldn't even stifle his laughter anymore as they became more animated and even began singing to him "Oh, mama mia, mama mia- mama mia let me go!" he was quick to hide his face with a pillow to rid himself of the embarrassment as his laughter became too much. His stomach was seriously starting to hurt!

The group became more and more intense and noisy until they dropped down to a hush and gradually grew dynamically until the final 'for me' was sung, and Jimin's high note rose above them all. "Holy sh**, Jimin!" Yoongi shouted as he threw his pillow at him, "You're going to break the windows with that voice of yours! How do you do that?! It doesn't seem natural at all!" he commented, still in shock over everything he was taking in, "Wow… how come no one tells me they have these talents?" he muttered to himself with a shake of his head. A pillow soon came into contact with his left cheek, sending his head to the right just a little with the blow, and once his eyes caught Jin as the culprit, he raised his shoulders and hands as he knit his eyebrows together with a disgusted look, "What? I was just joking…" he pouted, "Turn your attention back to the song; you need to back up Taehyung!" he bossed him around with no regret whatsoever.

Finally, as the song reached its ending, they all released an exhausted sigh as they took a seat on the couch or floor, laughing off the silliness they had just entertained themselves with. Jin was also busy scolding Yoongi for his 'inappropriate behavior' during the song while the others looked on as if enjoying their spectator seats, "You were the one who suggested all of us do karaoke and even claimed you would participate yourself, but instead you decided to just make inappropriate comments! Min Yoongi, I hope you're proud of yourself. You can go to the kitchen and wash some dishes, because there's plenty!" his sass was completely showing.

Yoongi stared at Jin uncertainly, leaning away from him as much as possible in his seat on the couch as he tried to process what just happened. Did he just…? "Hold up… Is this payback for telling you to pay attention to the song? Because it was not my intention to boss you around…" he commented, though it was a total lie. He was just trying to get out of doing chores. "And I only commented on Jimin's because it was shocking to me! I meant my comment as 'holy sh**, we've got all of the harmonies we need in one d*** household.' I mean, does this not- ow! Would you quit hitting me with the pillow when I'm trying to talk? I'm being serious! How often do you come across a group like this?"

The entire household broke out in laughter, with Hoseok rolling on the ground because he couldn't keep himself under control. Yoongi's potty mouth was going to be the death of him!

"Yoongi hyung, you should probably stop saying 'sh**' and 'd***', because Jin isn't going to stop hitting you with that f***ing pillow if you don't. " Namjoon suggested as he tried to stop himself from laughing as well. He couldn't help but add to Jin's frustration as they all died of laughter.

"Cut it out! There is a minor in this household! I am trying to preserve his innocence, and neither of you are helping!" Jin scolded them, though he was laughing just as much at this point. He was truly trying to be angry, but this was too much.

"Wait, so you're not going to hit Namjoon? His cursing was worse than mine!" Yoongi complained as he held his arms raised above his head to protect himself. Jin seemed terribly biased against him at this point.

Jungkook was on the ground next to Hoseok as both of them were trying to breathe through their cackling. Their hyungs were so entertaining that they didn't even need to try doing another game or anything! This was the best show yet!

"No, not Jungkook! We must cover the ears of our poor, innocent little maknae! Quick, take him to another room so he doesn't have to hear such hateful words being exchanged among the hyungs!" Hoseok exclaimed as he quickly stood up and gestured for Jimin to assist him in picking the youngest up and carrying him towards the hall. However, they were only able to take a few steps with him before falling over each other because they were laughing too much.

Taehyung couldn't even move from his spot on the couch because his stomach was hurting so much. Jin thought Jungkook was so innocent, and he found that completely hilarious. Of course, their interactions were funny, too, but Jin didn't see everything he saw. Jungkook wasn't as innocent as Jin imagined he was, "Jin, you can't seriously think that he's never heard those words before, right?"

Jin scowled at Taehyung as he finally took a seat on the couch a few seats away from Yoongi, pretending to be mad at him, "That doesn't matter. Yoongi is still doing the dishes. And Namjoon, you can help him. I don't care if your birthday is coming up; you guys test my patience." he stated seriously without even a glance their way. The edge of his lips began to twitch into a smile and seconds later he was back into a laughing fit again. He just couldn't control it!

Yoongi shook his head as he finally let out a sigh of relief now that he had a breather, "Guys…." he stated calmly now that he was getting a grip of himself. They seemed to be too busy with all of the craziness going on to be paying attention… "Guys." he stated louder and waited for all of them to finally come to a halt and give them his attention, "Seriously… I have a thought that I think we should all consider, so just listen to me for a moment…" he began, glancing at all of them to make sure he could make eye contact with each of the housemates, "You remember how Professor Hill told us that we would be having a project due at the end of the semester? He said it could be in any form, whether it be a slideshow presentation or a creative presentation of some kind of aspect of Korean culture as long as it incorporates some of what we learned? I don't quite remember specific details about the project, but I think my idea might actually work… What if…. What if I wrote a song, and we all translated it into Korean and then sang it as our presentation? You know, like those Korean groups we've started getting into…" he suggested. While Hoseok and Jimin let out a quiet laugh thinking he was joking, his face remained completely serious, and soon they came to realize that the was.

"Wait… You mean it? You actually want to try it? Do you write?" Hoseok asked, showing how hesitant he was on the idea. It sounded cool and interesting, but he wasn't sure if they could pull it off.

"Yeah, I can write. I'm almost done with writing a song actually… I think we could use it for this." Yoongi replied as he leaned back into the couch cushion and awaited more responses. Yeah, it was a weird suggestion, but with the talents of this household, he believed they had a chance.

"So… are we dancing too?" Jimin asked hopefully as he started seriously considering the idea himself. He also believed that the voices of this group could actually bring about a unique sound of sorts, depending on the music of course.

Jin and Namjoon both looked pained at the thought of dancing, knowing fully well that their dancing abilities were a little lacking. Singing and rapping was one thing… but dancing? Man, would they need help…

Yoongi considered it for a moment as a grimace came to his face. He really didn't want to put any effort into exercise… Wasn't singing and rapping good enough? "Let me think… If we do this… how many of you think we should dance as well?"

Jimin, Hoseok, Jungkook, and Taehyung all raised their hands in favor of including dance in their presentation, which caused all of the hyungs to groan with dismay, "Alright… Dancing it is. Maybe just simple dancing, you know? Not too much… Then again, do we even know someone who can choreograph?"

"I can do it. If you can get me the music, I can create the moves." Hoseok assured him confidently. He wasn't secure enough in himself to tell Yoongi when he first met him that he was a dancer, but now he had no issue admitting it whatsoever, "I've learned a bunch of street dance and hip hop while living in New York, so if you can make something in that style, I can definitely produce results. Though, I can try doing choreography outside of that style if necessary."

Yoongi was surprised to hear of Hoseok's talent and confidence in it, but he could be no more pleased with this group than he already was. For once, he could feel a fire of excitement burning inside of him the more he thought about this. He was ready to start right now. "Okay. Let's do this. I'll get to work as soon as possible so we can get started on this."

"Wait, wait, wait… You do realize that we need to start exercising and working out daily to be able to raise our endurance for this, right? No one can just wake up and say 'I'm going to sing perfectly while dancing to some serious choreograph today'. It's not like that. You have to train your body." Namjoon pointed out, knowing fully well that Yoongi was kind of the laziest of the group…

"We can do it." Taehyung insisted, "If we help each other get there, we can succeed. It sounds tough… but I think this is an opportunity we should take. I mean… I've always wanted to sing in front of people. Doing it in choir is one thing, but in a dance group? Seriously, how cool is that? Especially if it's hip hop, I think it's going to be an awesome experience."

"Okay, yeah. Let's do it. It wouldn't hurt to try I guess… but just to warn you, I am no dancer. This is going to be really tough for me, so everyone's going to need to be patient." Jin commented, finally agreeing to the idea.

"Same goes for me. I can't dance for the life of me, but if you really want to try, let's go for it." Namjoon spoke up. All of them came to an agreement at this point, and with the decision made, they finally returned to the karaoke with this thought sticking in the back of their minds. If they were to succeed with this… was it possible that they could expand on it?

A loud rumble sounded above the house as thunder cracked its way across the sky, interrupting the fourth song being sung. The rain was now clattering on the roof with a significant amount of force, the sound fading and then growing depending on the course of the wind. As soon as Taehyung spotted a lightning bolt stretch across the sky from his spot at the window, he turned and joined the others to announce that they needed to stop at least until the storm passed. He unplugged his computer from the television and then turned both systems off before leaving to make sure he was aware of where the candles and flashlights were in case a power outage occurred.

While Jin and Namjoon assisted Taehyung in the search, Yoongi found himself paralyzed on the couch as he tried to ease the anxiety growing within him. He hated thunderstorms… Ever since he had the misfortune of experiencing a tornado a couple of years ago, he couldn't stand even the most simple of thunderstorms. His body always tensed up because it seemed to always expect the worst. At the second thunderstrike, he pulled himself out of his trance and forced himself up off the couch to head for his room and hide himself away and try to pull himself through yet another storm. It wasn't easy dealing with this fear he had… He remembered that only years ago he use to love going out on the porch to watch thunderstorms with his family and then all of a sudden one event changed his life just like that. He wished he could get rid of the anxiety that clung to him, but no matter how hard he tried, it never seemed to go away. He didn't have the strength in himself to fight off the fear alone. With a heavy sigh, he sat himself down on the twin sized bed closest to the door and rest his back and head against the wall, trying to calm himself with his breathing. He could only hope that the storm would end soon...

Meanwhile, as Jimin and Hoseok continued goofing around with each other in the living room, Jungkook's eyes remained on the hallway after witnessing Yoongi leave in such a strange manner. Something just seemed off to him, and he didn't exactly know what it was that made him feel uneasy. He reached in his pocket to pull out his phone and searched through his texts to find Yoongi and his last conversation. His gaze fell upon the title he held for Yoongi, which remained to be 'Lazy Hyung', and for a moment he recalled back to their conversation a couple weeks ago when they had discussed speaking in person when it was possible. He knew he should… But right now he wasn't positive as to whether or not he should text him to make sure he wasn't just imagining that Yoongi was upset about something, or if he should ask him in person… He and Yoongi didn't really discuss things that were serious. Usually if Yoongi knew he was upset, he would just do something to ease his troubles… He didn't usually use words.

As his thumb wavered above the phone's keypad, Jungkook released a sigh and finally closed out of the app and turned off his phone as another clap of thunder struck the sky. He stood and grabbed a brown cardboard box that had been shipped to him from his family in Korea and then made his way to the room across from the master bedroom in which Jin and Yoongi stayed in. He knocked quietly, but he entered before even receiving an answer, afraid that he would tell him to leave. With Yoongi's eyes following him all the way up to his bed, Jungkook set his box in front of him and then pushed himself onto the foot of the bed before opening the box to reveal what was inside, "I don't think you were in the room at the time when Jin gave me this, but my Korean family sent me this for my birthday… It's a bunch of Korean snacks and…" he scratched his head, finding himself to be really awkward all of a sudden. He had never seen Yoongi like this and had no idea how to act, so he became nervous! With all other ideas fleeing out of his mind, Jungkook grabbed a yellow snack bag and handed it to Yoongi, insisting that he take it, "You should try these with me. I don't think Jin hyung will be able to get to lunch for another half an hour at least, so tasting these should be fine." Once Yoongi had the bag in hand, Jungkook grabbed an orange bag with an orange shrimp on it for himself and examined the bag as he waited for Yoongi to open the one he gave up.

"Uh… okay? Listen, Jungkook, I'm really not that hungry…" Yoongi claimed as he tried to hand the bag back to him. Why did he want to share the snacks with him of all people anyways? Well… why did he make the effort to come back to his room and share them was the real question.

"You haven't eaten lunch yet, and usually you eat quite a bit, so I think you should eat anyway. Just try it, you might like it." Jungkook insisted once more. What else was he supposed to do? Food always made him happy! Sleep and food! If he didn't want to eat, then that really meant something was wrong… "Come on, hyung…" He shook the bag he was holding. The sound the contents of the bag made was no contest for a very close rumble of thunder, and it was becoming easier for Jungkook to tell that the storm was the cause for his housemate's discomfort.

Yoongi closed his eyes as the thunder practically shook the house, and refrained from gripping the bag in his hands tight enough to pop it. He felt almost guilty having Jungkook with him during such a vulnerable time for him. He couldn't articulate what he was feeling, nor could he even begin to explain why he was so fearful in the first place. He didn't want to waste Jungkook's time, and especially not on his birthday. But he knew that the youngest wouldn't leave until everything seemed to be okay again, so he regained a little bit of composure and opened the bag in his hands. The scent from the bag was sweet, and even with the anxiety holding his senses captive, he had to admit it was pretty appetizing. He grabbed a small, churro shaped crisp and bit into it, hearing the crunch over the sound of the rain pelting the roof above.

Jungkook smiled, pleased that Yoongi was beginning to loosen up… Even if just a little bit. The sweet smell from the bag in his hyung's hands was much different than the salty, seafood smell that came from his bag when he opened it. He definitely prefered the sweet over the seafood, but he was going to let Yoongi enjoy them as much as he wanted. "Is it good?" he asked, hoping to get a little bit of conversation going.

Yoongi nodded and waited until he finished chewing to speak. "It's good… Sweet. I think it's honey flavored," he responded as he observed the churro crisp. He was enjoying the taste, though the sounds outside of the house made his stomach feel bitter. He switched over to trying the shrimp cracker chips that Jungkook was eating until Jin entered the room, obviously curious to find out where the two had disappeared to.

"Hey, you two okay in here?" Jin asked as he stepped in and shut the door. He had no idea why they had disappeared in the first place, but upon seeing such a down expression on Yoongi's face, he began to suspect that Jungkook was here to make things better. Though he wasn't quite sure why Yoongi was upset, he would do anything he could to help. "Do you want some tea? I think it would go well with those churro chips."

Jungkook nodded vigorously. "Yes! Wait, I have some tea that my Korean family sent me…" He looked through the box of snacks until he found the box and held it out for Jin to take. He gave the eldest a grateful smile as he took the box. "Thanks, hyung!"

"I'll be back with it, then…" Jin said and took his leave of the room. He was still perplexed as to what was plaguing Yoongi, but he wouldn't pry, just as it seemed Jungkook wasn't. He knew there was a difference between helping someone cope and driving them further into whatever they were dealing with. He just hoped that whatever it was, it would be resolved soon.

Yoongi looked at the window to see if he could catch a glimpse of what the outside looked like, but the only thing he could see were heavy rains propelled sideways by the wind. So much for the storm not lasting long…He turned back to the bag in his hands and looked over the packaging. Usually he would sit alone in his room when storms like this would hit, his phone at his side or in his hands at all times to make sure that the conditions outside weren't worsening. What he dreaded the most was the siren that would go off in the town to indicate severe weather. He was surprised it hadn't yet gone off with the intensity of the storm outside, but he was also very grateful. He glanced at Jungkook briefly and noticed him watching him, and then he turned his attention away again. If the sirens went off, Jungkook would definitely understand just what he was dealing with.

Before he could continue further in his thoughts, Jin returned with the tea. "Here…Drink this and the warmth will help make you feel better…" He set a tray on the bed in front of Yoongi and Jungkook that held the teacups and a fancy looking kettle. He poured a cup and handed one to Yoongi first, and then to Jungkook. He kept a cup for himself and waited until his other housemates drank before he did.

Yoongi lifted the cup to his lips to drink and a strike of lightning lit up the room, and the crack and boom of the thunder followed quickly after, making him visibly cringe. The house went dark, and all sound ceased to exist, save for the rain and thunder outside. He let out a shaky sigh and drank his tea.

Jungkook exchanged a wary glance with Jin as the power went out after observing Yoongi's reaction. He surely didn't think he was wrong about the reason behind his strange behavior now, but the problem was, what could they do to make it better?

Jin moved the tray from the bed and set it on the floor out of the way before sitting on the edge. He, as Jungkook had, began to understand what was going on. He sipped his tea, trying to figure out what they could do. They didn't want to use their phones in case the power didn't return for some time…

The door opened then and Jimin and Hoseok stepped into the room. "There you guys are," Jimin stated and walked over to the bed. "We were searching for you…Three of you guys disappeared, and we started to worry!"

"We didn't want you guys to get caught in the dark," Hoseok said and held up a flashlight. "Since phone flashlights use up too much battery to use them…" He stood beside Jimin at the foot of the bed, and watched the scene in front of him. Yoongi looked exhausted…And not the sleepy kind of exhausted. More mentally. He figured it was the weather, and he nudged Jimin's arm with his elbow, and noticed that Jimin was thinking the same thing. He took the lead and climbed onto the bed, crawling over Jungkook's legs to get between him and Yoongi. "Excuuuse me… I'm just gonna sit right here."

Jimin followed in suit and sat on Yoongi's other side, making his way around Jin to do so. "Hyuung…" He sat as close as he could to the other housemate. "Don't fall asleep, hyung! You're going to miss all the fun stuff we have planned!"

"He's right!" Hoseok mimicked Jimin's enthusiasm quite easily, and pressed just as close to Yoongi. He made it his mission to get him sandwiched between them enough to irritate him, but like little brothers would; not enough to make him angry. "Dearest hyung, you have to stay up so we can enjoy the rest of Jungkook's and Namjoon's birthday party!"

Yoongi looked at Jimin and Hoseok as they moved closer to him. What were they doing? Why were they getting so close? "I'm-I'm not going to fall asleep…" he muttered. He couldn't even if he tried…He set the empty cup he had been drinking from in his lap so that his hands were free. "You guys are weird…" he continued in his low monotone voice. The weather outside was not letting up and nor was his fear, though he was beginning to appreciate their company.

"Hyung, you've finally noticed me!" Hoseok cackled, enjoying his little play on 'senpai noticed me'. He didn't know if they were helping or not, but he was going to do what he could do best…Act as a personified ray of sunshine!

Jin laughed, and finished the last of his tea. He was really beginning to value the other housemates, especially now. It really showed how well people got along when things got tough, and they were definitely showing that they could pull through even the worst. He only hoped that Yoongi could see that.

It wasn't long before Namjoon and Taehyung appeared in the room as well, having gone on their own search for the others. "Well who brought the party in here and didn't tell us?" Taehyung asked as they walked in. "Seriously guys, not fair." He was dragging Namjoon in by the arm. "You guys have to see what Namjoon hyung drew! Sorry to say but he used your sketchbook, Jungkookie…But you won't be disappointed!"

Namjoon was holding the sketchbook in both of his hands, trying not to lose his grip on it. "In my defense, Tae asked me to draw something in the dark and so I did it…"

Jungkook shrugged and laughed. "That's okay. Can we see it?" He was curious, since Taehyung said they wouldn't be disappointed…Though it was just as easy to tear pages out of a sketchbook.

Hoseok turned on the flashlight so they could see the drawing better. "Let's see what a beautiful masterpiece our Namjoon made for us today! Get ready class! You're about to learn about true fine art!"

Namjoon rolled his eyes and opened the book up to the first page, where he drew the picture. He turned it around to expose…Well, he couldn't even explain it.

The others couldn't stop themselves from breaking into laughter at the sight of the picture. "What...What is that? Is that a dog? Namjoon hyung, I think you need to work on your lines…" Jungkook said, trying to catch his breath from his laughter.

"No! It's not a dog!" Namjoon attempted not to get flustered by the comment. "It was a dare! Tae told me to draw something in the dark! There's no way I could have made it perfect!" He turned the page away and held it against his body.

"No, no guys! Come on, appreciate the art…" Hoseok got up and grabbed the book. He gave Yoongi the flashlight to hold so it would shine on the picture. "Look at the use of line…It's so abstract, but so…Reflective of life. Namjoon, you're a true inspiration to us all."

"Oh shut up…" Namjoon pushed his friend away, becoming too embarrassed for much else. "It was supposed to be a horse…" He rubbed the back of his neck gingerly. Drawing in the dark was hard, and the result was nothing close to a horse. He could admit it did look a lot like a dog…Maybe he should have just said yes?

Jin chuckled and looked over at Yoongi, trying to gauge where his emotions were standing. He was pleased to find a small smile on his lips from the antics of the other housemates. He didn't think that Taehyung nor Namjoon understood what was going on based on their sudden appearance, but he was glad, because out of all of their attempts to help Yoongi cope, they were the only ones that didn't seem forced. And he figured that by the change in expression, Yoongi appreciated that the most.

Hoseok continued to display the picture in front of all of them. "The medium is pencil on premium sketchbook paper…Look at the thickness of the lines… the strokes. Just wonderful. Yoongi hyung, you're the announcer. What do you have to say about this piece?" He smiled wide, gesturing to the paper.

Yoongi observed the picture for a moment, not even realizing his attention was drawn away from his fear and the outside world. All that existed were his friends and the drawing of a horse/dog thing. "It's…" He looked at the flashlight in his hand and shut it off, using the top as the head of a microphone. "It's a true expression of internal dialogue, Hoseok…The overlapping lines and many curves show just how hard it is to manage the internal struggles of life." A distant rumble of thunder dragged him from his announcing, and when he glanced outside, there were rays of sunlight coming through the clouds and bringing light back into the world. All of the stress and fear he had been feeling was long gone even before he knew it had disappeared. He turned back to look at his housemates and relief flooded his system. It almost felt like, well, lightning, the feeling he had when he smiled at them. "I guess…Now would be a good time to tell you guys that I'm not so fond of thunderstorms…"

"We ended up figuring that out," Jin stated. His tone was soft, and by no means judgemental. "We were worried when you disappeared suddenly, but we didn't want to pry too much and make anything worse for you…But you know that we're all here for you, right?"

"We can't judge you for being afraid of something…" Jimin said. "Because we don't know why you're afraid in the first place. We don't know what you've been through, and to judge, even with that knowledge, is just insensitive."

"We're your friends, Yoongi." Namjoon grinned. He was unaware why everyone had congregated in Jin and Yoongi's room, though he was glad that the storm had passed and they had managed to help Yoongi through it. "We won't judge you on things like that. We'll judge you for stupid things, like bed head or what you eat for breakfast."

"Hyung," Jungkook spoke up, trying to get his attention. "Don't be afraid to tell us if something is bothering you, especially with things like this…I know we don't usually talk very much, and when we do, it's not about serious things…But I happen to remember a concerned hyung coming to me in the middle of the night to help me through my own fears…" The youngest smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "I want to be here for you like you were there for me, even though you didn't know me that well."

Yoongi was a little overwhelmed by their kindness, though he felt it in a good way, and it made him smile wide; the kind of smile that caused the eyes to shrink and dimples to form. All of them were there to help him, whether or not they understood what was happening. And Jungkook was right…Though he didn't quite say it, he knew the kid wanted to tell him to follow his own advice. And while he knew adjusting to having such caring friends would be hard, and it would take time to fully trust them with everything, through good and bad, he knew they'd be there.


	10. Chapter 9: Are We Humans or Zombies?

**Chapter 9: Are We Humans or Are We Zombies?**

" _Through an experiment gone wrong, scientists created a zombie virus that infected one of their own… and he escaped. He still looks human, so he can't be identified by appearance as a zombie but he is infected with the zombie virus and can infect others with it. He is known as the Original Zombie (OZ). Since the OZ is still human in appearance, he can live with and move among the humans freely. The virus, however, is transmuted through direct contact so anyone the OZ touches becomes a zombie. So far there is no cure, but there is hope! There is no way to kill a zombie, but humans have discovered that shooting them with nerf guns and throwing socks can temporarily stun the zombies. (They have to heal/regenerate after being injured, so makes sense right?) While the zombies are never stunned for a long period of time, the longer the humans can survive and keep the zombies at bay the more time the scientists and other smart people have to try and find a cure! All of humanity depends not only on those finding a cure, but those brave humans fighting against the zombies with their lives."_

* * *

Namjoon groaned as he rolled over to reach for his phone that was sitting on his bedside table. His dark brown eyes wavered upon the lit up screen as he checked the time and then sat himself up as he rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself more. His mind had been keeping him up for a majority of the night due to a few unresolved problems with his family lately, so he finally decided he should get up and refresh a bit before trying to sleep once more. With a yawn, he pulled the covers away and threw his legs over the bed so he could stand as he snuck a glance in Hoseok's direction, hoping that his roommate, whose bed was nearest the door, wasn't bothered by any noise he might be making. Thankfully, Namjoon was pleased to find that his roommate was still fast asleep with one arm hanging over the edge of the bed and his face buried in the pillow. Once he had snuck out of his room, Namjoon closed the door quietly and then tip-toed through the hall to reach the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, obviously trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake the lighter sleepers in the household.

"Psst! Tae, wake up!" Jimin whispered quietly as he quietly climbed down the ladder of the bunk bed and then gently shook his friend to get his attention. He didn't know why he had woken up for no reason, but he heard a noise coming from the kitchen just as he was trying to fall back asleep.

"Hm..? What is it? Doesn't it look like I'm trying to sleep?" Taehyung replied as he groaned and rolled over onto his right side with his back turned to Jimin. He couldn't believe his sleep was being interrupted so early in the morning when tomorrow morning was a Monday- a very important Monday.

"Tae, someone's in the living room or kitchen… No one is usually up at this time of morning. What if someone broke into the house?" Jimin insisted that he wake up so that he was experiencing this alone. He normally wasn't scared very easily, at least not as much as Hoseok, but he was only slightly nervous about the situation… It'd just be a lot easier to investigate with someone else at his side.

"Huh..? Do you know how probable it is for someone to break into this house?" Jungkook mumbled as he sat up and squinted his eyes in Jimin's direction. His bed was parallel to their bunk bed, and he had overheard their conversation because he had woken up having to use the bathroom.

"Jungkook, you're awake! Seriously though, isn't it abnormal for the others to be up at this time? The only time I've ever seen one of them up is when Yoongi would catch you taking a shower…" Jimin replied as Taehyung sat up and groaned, unhappy to be awake at this time.

"If there's someone in this house, I'd really rather not be the one to come face to face with whoever it is…" Taehyung commented as he looked up at Jimin and then over at Jungkook. Jimin's words were starting to get to him, and he was starting to believe someone really could have gotten in.

"There's no one here…" Jungkook insisted as he stood up and went to the bathroom that was attached to their bedroom. Once he had finished, he immediately headed for the door to the hallway to check out whatever it was Jimin and Taehyung thought they were hearing. "Alright, I'm gonna check the other bedrooms to see if the others are in their beds. I'll be right back."

"Wait, you're going to go alone?" Jimin asked him, amazed that their youngest didn't seem to be as afraid as they were. He quickly tried to change his demeanor as he stood and hurried to Jungkook's side, "I'll go with you. You know, just in case."

Taehyung considered this for just a moment, but he was quick to get out of bed and follow after Jimin, "I'll go as well. It never hurts to have backup." he stated nervously, trying to stay confident about leaving the room. He thought Jungkook would be a lot more afraid of this situation, considering the experiences they've had with him. He seemed to be afraid of Paul that one time, and then he'd heard about his thing with girls, so this was just weird…

Jungkook smirked at his roommates reactions as he left the room and walked through the hallway to the next room on their left, quietly opening the door to see who was inside, hoping Yoongi or Jin were not in there to prove that it was someone they knew in the kitchen. His eyes fell upon two figures who were sound asleep, or… not making noise at least. Though, as they began to close the door to that room, Jimin and Taehyung practically tackled Jungkook as they gasped and panicked when they were touched by someone from behind them only to release a relieved sigh when they realized it was only Hoseok trying to get their attention.

"Hyung, why'd you have to do that?! You scared us out of our wits! Was it you who was in the kitchen?" Jimin asked in a whisper as his eyes fell upon the baseball bat Hoseok held in his hand, "Wait… What's that for?" he asked as he pointed towards the object.

Hoseok followed Jimin's hand to his bat and then began to explain himself, obviously a little stressed about something, "Well, no… I was in bed when I woke up to hear someone making noise out here. I'm not gonna lie, I kind of thought it was someone breaking into the house… Jungkook doesn't usually go in the kitchen or living room when he wakes up in the middle of the night, so I didn't think it was any of us…" he replied, feeling embarrassed that he was acting so paranoid.

"Wait… if it's not you… is Namjoon hyung still in there?" Taehyung asked as he realized he was the only one left that could possibly be in the kitchen.

"Yeah, he seemed to be in a deep sleep because he had himself wrapped pretty well with the blankets, so I didn't bother him…" Hoseok replied with a frown. It was then that they heard a loud clattering sound from the kitchen, followed by glass shattering and a few dispersed clunks.

The entire group froze at the sound, now very aware that it had to be a stranger in their house since the others were all still in bed. In fact, even Yoongi and Jin had woken up from the noise and had rushed to the door to join the group and question them about whatever was happening, "What are you guys doing out here? Did you guys break something?" Jin asked first before Yoongi could start scolding them for waking him from his sleep.

"Someone broke into the house. All of us were in bed, and Namjoon hyung is still asleep. Whoever it is isn't very intelligent though… They're making a ton of noise." Jungkook stated quietly before releasing an uncertain sigh. Now that it was confirmed, he was feeling a little less courageous…

"What? Okay, okay, you guys just need to calm down… I'll go ahead first, just keep your eyes out. If we see him, we'll just tackle them and get them under our control before anything else happens." Jin stated calmly, raising his hand slightly and gesturing that they needed to calm down. Hopefully it was just six against one… He took the lead of the group with Yoongi following right after so he could squeeze between Jin and Jungkook, though he allowed Hoseok to stay right next to him since he had the baseball bat; that actually wasn't such a bad idea…

Everything was still dark throughout the entire house, but they could distinctly hear the footsteps of an individual in the kitchen. Quickly, the entire group began run towards the dark figure they saw just at the entrance to the kitchen and once they reached the figure, they immediately tackled the person to the ground, having no mercy in slamming him onto the floor and pulling his arms behind his back as they yelled for him to stay down. "Don't move! Jungkook, get the lights!" Jin exclaimed as he himself held the trespasser's arms pinned.

As soon as the lights flickered on, all of the members just sort of stared at the scene before them. Poor Namjoon was hidden under all the members, breathing heavily as he tried to comprehend what was going on. "Guys…" he coughed as he looked up at them in confused, "Guys, what are you doing? And why the hell does Hoseok have a bat?" he questioned as they all slowly released their grip on him and as Hoseok lowered his bat.

"N-Namjoon hyung! We… We thought-" Jimin and the others all turned their heads in Hoseok's direction, practically glaring at him for steering their thoughts in the wrong direction, "We thought you were still in bed… Honestly, we thought that whoever was out here making so much noise was a burg- Hyung, what did you do to the kitchen?!"

Namjoon groaned as he pushed himself up off the ground and placed a hand on his lower back, truly feeling the aftermath of the tackle he just experienced, "The kitchen? Jimin, what did you do to my back?! I may not look broken, but all that glass you see on the floor right now, yeah. I feel that inside my body. Thanks for caring." he commented bitterly.

"Oh, come on, we didn't tackle you THAT badly… Seriously though, look at the mess in here…" Jin sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and observed the scene before him. "Well… Let's get started on cleaning this up. Be careful though, there's glass all over the place."

"Yeah… You know, I was almost upset for what I had done, but now, my conscience is eased a little… I mean, seriously, how could you not care about my well-being?" Namjoon shook his head and nudged his friend, "Well… Jimin… You got no jams. I know how much you loved those jellies, but I guess this is premeditated payback- apparently destiny knew that you cared more about the kitchen than me."

Jimin stared at Namjoon for a moment and then returned his eyes to the broken shards and red and purple jam strewn across the floor. It really was depressing… He had just picked those jams out last week, and they were still at least half full! Why, hyung, why?! "Is… Is there any jam we can save or did it all touch the ground?"

"Um… Hyung, I'm pretty sure your jams are gone." Jungkook replied with pursed lips as he picked up one of the bigger pieces of glass, which held a glob of blackberry jam in its curve, "I mean… there's a little left. Do you want it?" he asked as he maneuvered around the glass to Jimin's side and gestured for him to take it. As soon as Jimin reached out to take the jam carrying piece of glass, Jungkook was quick to scoop the jam onto his finger and then ate it himself as a sly grin found its way onto his lips. Blackberry was his own personal favorite, and he really couldn't pass up the opportunity to mess with Jimin like this, "Ooh… that was actually really good. It's too bad you were too slow, hyung, you could have saved the last of your jams." he joked with him.

"... Jeongguk… I swear… You make me so mad!" Jimin shouted at him as he quickly reached up and wrapped an arm around Jungkook's neck to put him in a headlock. "You sneaky little Maknae, I'm going to get you back for that!" he insisted as he gave the youngest a noogie and struggled to keep him from moving around.

"Hey! If you're going to wrestle, do it out of the kitchen; there's too much glass everywhere…" Jin scolded them as he grabbed the broom and dustpan from the closet right next to the kitchen at the start of the hallway. He returned and quickly began to sweep up the glass shards and then gestured for Namjoon to help clean up the jam with paper towels and cleaning wipes. As they worked on cleaning the floor, Yoongi assisted in repairing the shelf guard on the door of the fridge that Namjoon had accidentally broken off somehow.

"Honestly, Rapmon hyung, I don't see how you do this. It's like you just touch something and it breaks. Remind me not to let you watch over one of the kids I babysit at the CDL." Hoseok commented as he and the other two stood by and watched the older housemates clean. It's not like they could help do anything else; they pretty much had it covered!

"I'm gonna have to agree with Hoseok on this one… Besides, why are you up this early anyway? You're not nervous about this whole Humans Vs. Zombies thing are you? I mean, I know today is the first day, but it's nothing to stress over." Yoongi teased him jokingly as he finished up with the fridge and closed the door with ease.

"Come on, no way. Ya'll are just jerks. I don't break everything, especially not kids. And no, it's not the game. I hear a lot of people get paranoid about it, but I'm not one of them. It's just family stuff, you know? You guys remember how I told you about my parents not being happy with the major I've chosen? Well, they're at it again…" he sighed as he pulled a cup from the cupboard beside the fridge and then pushed the cup against the water dispenser in the fridge's door so he could hydrate himself.

The housemates each exchanged glances, but before anyone else could speak up, Jin was the first to respond as he threw away the glass, "Well, you're here at college to discover yourself aren't you? You're not here to fulfill whatever your parents see you as. How many times have you said that to us? You've always said that every time you return to America you can be whoever you want and be who you truly are. So just continue being that person. It doesn't mean you should disregard your family. It just means that you should go your way while simultaneously finding a way to make them proud through the path you've chosen."

"I agree with Jin. I believe one day your parents will be proud of the person you become. One way or another. You're a hard worker, and you're really intelligent. You have a million career paths you can choose from, but only one was meant for you. Maybe two. In my opinion, the path chooses you. You just like to think you're in control." Hoseok commented with a grin as he nudged Namjoon with his elbow, "Now come on, let's get to bed. We've got zombies to fight off later today."

"I think we're going to be the zombies if we don't get back to sleep anytime soon…" Yoongi muttered, all too ready to head back to his bed. Though, he made sure to offer Namjoon a pat on his back as he passed him.

"Agreed… I'm so ready for some more sleep!" Taehyung complained with a sigh as he rubbed his eyes and followed after his roommates back to the bedroom. He had been rather quiet in the kitchen because he was just too worn out to put in any effort at all. He, Jimin, and Jungkook had only just fallen asleep at 1 a.m. because they had stayed up playing videogames, so they were all a little exhausted. Somehow the other two seemed to have enough energy to goof around, though! How was that even possible?

The entire household returned to bed to gain as much sleep as possible before the big day ahead, considering it was the very first day of Humans vs. Zombies. This game was to be played throughout the entire week with missions held at 8:00 pm, but students who participated still were required to attend classes, of course. Humans vs. Zombies is a variation of a game of tag. All participating students begin the game as humans, and one is chosen by the game moderators to be the "Original Zombie." The Original Zombie tags human players while keeping the disguise of a human and turns them into zombies until the Original Zombie's identity is revealed. Humans carry nerf guns and are required to complete objectives in missions in order to win the game. Just surviving past final mission isn't enough if one fails to complete the mission. The point of the missions is to try to find a cure for the zombie virus and save humans everywhere from being infected and turned into zombies. Zombies do not carry nerf guns. They are the "it" players in tag, but their numbers grow. Once an individual becomes "it", he or she is "it" for the rest of the game. Unless the humans win, that is.

Even though the risk was extremely low for the boys to be tagged by the OZ on the very first day, paranoia haunted every single one of them throughout the day. It wasn't until they were able to meet in Korean class that they were finally able to discuss with each other what they had or had not witnessed today regarding the game, and they found that the game really was progressing just in the matter of the past 5 hours or so.

"Can you believe there are already 3 zombies? I mean, it sounds like a small number, but if you think about it, only one person is tagging all of these people…" Taehyung commented as he scrolled through the HVZ Berea page on his phone which was always updated once the humans turned into zombies.

"Yeah, whoever the OZ is is doing a really good job… I mean, considering they've not been caught yet. I hear people have their suspicions though. It's usually a veteran player since they have experience, and some say that Jay or Skyler may be the OZ. They were seen whispering to a few other players after patting them on the back, so some people are really watching them." Yoongi remarked as he checked the HVZ page as well.

"I guess I better be careful then… Jay's in my next class." Namjoon groaned as he pulled off the white bandana that was tied on his upper right arm to indicate he was a human and then placed it in his backpack with his nerf gun. HVZ equipment wasn't allowed to be seen in the classrooms so as not to distract others, so everything had to be put away.

"I guess we'll know not to come help you with anything if you come crying to us later. No way am I walking into a trap if I know you might be a zombie." Hoseok laughed as he took his seat beside Namjoon and discarded his equipment into his backpack as well.

"Oh! Oh, wait! There's four now! Four zombies!" Taehyung reported as he stared at the page with awe, "This OZ is catching zombies fast… He must be really good."

"No way, it's just four, Tae. That's not that many." Yoongi disagreed with a roll of his eyes as he stretched out his left arm and rested his head on it lazily.

"Really? Four isn't that many? I'd like to see you be OZ and catch four zombies by this time, hyung. You wouldn't even catch one with how often you sleep…" Taehyung argued defensively with a shake of his head. Being the OZ was harder than it seemed. He'd been told how it worked by a few of his friends, and he honestly wouldn't want to be the one responsible for gathering more zombies.

"Are you scared you'll get caught before mission tonight, hyung? Don't worry, we'll protect you." Jungkook joked as he watched the teacher walk in at last. Professor Hill was just on time, as per usual, which meant that the devices had to be put up and poor, paranoid Taehyung wouldn't be able to keep track of the HVZ status.

Taehyung pouted in response to Jungkook, feeling a little childish for feeling so paranoid about a game, but this truly did put him on edge, as it did many. He was definitely not the only wondering where the zombies were and how he could get away instead of think about the task at hand. Even Jimin seemed to be more alert than usual. Thankfully, Yoongi seemed to be as lazy as ever. No change there…

As their classes for the day slowly passed by, the group proceeded to meet up as usual to stand in line for dinner at 4:30 pm so they could have time to do homework between dinner and mission. However, Yoongi had texted them saying that he had picked up a shift of a coworker because someone had gotten sick, so it was only the six of them standing in line, carrying their HVZ gear with them just like a few other people here and there. Buildings were considered safezones, so there was nothing to be concerned about inside, but zombies could tag them right outside or even reach in and tag them, so they still had to be aware of their surroundings.

"Isn't it weird that Yoongi hyung offered to work more? I mean… he hasn't liked working that much recently…" Jungkook remarked uncertainly, though Jin was the only one who seemed to be paying attention because the others were either talking amongst themselves or playing on their phones.

"Yoongi is a hard worker. He may be a little on the lazy side, but he is actually an exemplary employee." Jin replied. After a few moments of thought, however, he added to his comment, "Now that I think about it, you're right… Lately he's been a little bitter towards his job because of that girl, hasn't he?"

"Girl? What girl?" Hoseok asked, his interests peaked as he overheard their conversation and interrupted to gain a little more information, "Wait, does Yoongi have a thing for a girl? Since when? I haven't seen anything! How come you guys know something I don't?" he questioned jokingly; he was seriously interested…

"No, no, no, no, no, it's nothing like that. He's having girl problems, but not the kind you may be thinking of. He's far from interested in this girl, trust me." Jin assured him with a laugh as he covered his mouth to try and stifle it, "Yoongi has himself a stalker. I mean, she calls him during work sometimes claiming she needs a ride across campus because she's sick or because she injured herself doing something, and according to him it's very obvious that it's fake. He's complained about it several times, don't you pay attention, Hoseok?"

"What?! Well, I thought I listened pretty well, but I guess not… Yoongi doesn't talk very loud though, in my defense." Hoseok answered, laughing because he thought that Yoongi's predicament was hilarious, "So wait, who is this girl? No way did he just gain a stalker out of the blue. He's not very charismatic." he joked, using this time to insult Yoongi teasingly while he could before he appeared out of nowhere.

"Apparently she took a liking to him last year but just got the courage to finally be by his side in his amazing Public Safety chariot, also known as a golf cart. I don't get why she doesn't realize that that thing is only for emergencies." Namjoon remarked, joining the conversation with ease.

"Has she told him that she likes him? I mean… maybe she's just too shy to say so and she's not a stalker like you all think." Jungkook suggested uncertainly, thinking they shouldn't be too quick to judge on something like that.

"Oh, she's told him alright. And he's denied it several times. Or… he's done things that should hint to her that he's not interested. Seriously, just last week she messaged him three times on Facebook to tell him how she felt. He didn't tell me specifically, but he looked annoyed and admitted that he didn't know any other way to tell her he wasn't interested besides saying 'no'. Apparently she won't take 'no' for an answer." Namjoon commented in a matter-of-fact way.

"That's a little harsh… she can't be that bad. I mean, he wasn't rude about telling her no, right?" Hoseok asked, concerned for both parties. He didn't think it would be right to be a jerk to someone just because they liked you. It's not their fault that they have an attraction towards another, so why put the blame on them?

"Not at first. In fact, he was actually pretty polite about it the first few times she bothered him. I witnessed it once… He and I were talking in front of Draper before class, and she just came out of nowhere, asking him about this and that… I mean she was just questioning him about his day and how he was doing and all that, which wasn't harmful at all. But towards the end of the conversation she tried to get his phone number. Yoongi tried to explain to her that he wasn't interested in dating because apparently she had asked him a couple times before… Needless to say I was very confused because I didn't know this at the time, and then I caught Yoongi's eyes and realized he was practically begging for help. I told her we had to start heading to class and thankfully she had to part ways as well, but she seemed really disappointed that she wasn't able to get his contact information. I was actually quite proud of him for not flipping out on her since she's been bothering him so much." Jin recalled, "Since then though, he's been rather blunt. I can't blame him either… He's upset that she's started interfering with his work."

"Wow… how is someone so infatuated with Yoongi? I mean, he's a cool guy, but only around us right?" Hoseok joked, "I mean… all of us are different around other people, you know? Anyway… maybe we should help him out. How do you even get a stalker to stop liking you?"

"Maybe he can date her just once and then have it be over. You know? He could date, tell her he's not interested, and then everything will be done." Namjoon suggested with a shrug.

"I have a feeling that would put him under the 'boyfriend' title without his consent. I think he should try and act a way she doesn't like. You know, try and disgust her I guess." Jin disagreed before letting out a sigh, "Anyway, we can discuss that with him later if necessary…"

"Oh, geez… Guys there are five zombies now tagged by the OZ. This is intense…" Taehyung spoke up loud enough for all of them to hear even while they were in the middle of their discussion, "How many people are usually tagged on the first day?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I know last year only 2 people were tagged before mission and then maybe 2 more were tagged either during or after mission… The year before that 4 people were tagged before mission and and again 2 were tagged during or after the first night's mission." Jin answered as he watched the cashier lady, Ms. Linda, open the doors to the cafeteria to allow the line of students to enter, "Well, at least I think those were the numbers…"

"So the first day isn't normally very productive is it? I mean, considering the humans tend to stick together, the zombies don't have much of a chance at first." Jungkook commented as he followed behind Jin in the line.

"That's true, but trust me, the zombies add up as the week goes. Faster than you think." Namjoon replied quickly as he had Ms. Linda swipe his student ID and then broke up from the group to take a look at all of the food options available for him to choose from.

The group continued to discuss HVZ even further as they ate dinner together and even discussed their homework and classes as well. They only took half an hour to eat before leaving the cafeteria to head back home and do homework due to the long night ahead. Yoongi didn't make it home until 6:00pm, and though he planned on taking a nap in his room, he couldn't help but wonder why Taehyung and Jungkook were in the living room doing their homework instead of in their room like they usually were. It definitely wasn't normal, so Yoongi ignored his urge to go to his bedroom to question the boys, "What are you guys doing out here? Don't tell me your room is too messy to tolerate anymore…"

"Well… that too, but that's not why we're out here. Jimin hyung is Skyping his mom since it's his birthday. Speaking of which, we're still doing something for him tonight, right? I know the mission is going to last a while, but the plan is still on, right?" Jungkook asked hopefully as he set his homework to his side on the couch cushion and turned to give his attention to Yoongi.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we're still throwing him a sort of party. We'll just have to make sure we're back by 10 to do so. I'm having pizza delivered to us around that time, so we'll gather together after mission and then come back over so we can eat." Yoongi replied as he released a sigh of exhaustion. He was really feeling worn out… He also couldn't believe it was already October 13th; dates seemed to slip his mind…

"You worked more this afternoon, didn't you? Did that girl call you again?" Taehyung asked curiously with a grin as he, too, placed his things beside him. It sounded nosy, but all of them bugged each other about personal things…

"Geez… I can't even describe to you how irritating this is for me. I know you all think it's funny, but I'm concerned about my job. She has called me saying she's sick or injured about five times already for me to pick her up with the golf cart. Thankfully a couple of those times I was able to get someone else to do it… I mean, today, the fire alarm went off at Kettering, and we had to respond to it, you know? She was there and trying to talk to me while I was trying to communicate with my coworkers over the radio. I've gotta say, I've never experienced something like this before…" Yoongi groaned as he ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Maybe you should have just kept your piano/rapping skills strictly to this household instead of bringing those skills to Presser's practice rooms. I know it was convenient for you at the time, but when people overhear your talents, it's hard to deny they exist. I mean, you do know that's why she initially got into you, right?" Taehyung asked, having assumed beforehand that this was clear to him.

"Wait, what? She heard me in one of those practice rooms?" Yoongi groaned as he leaned against the nearby wall and raised his hand to his forehead into a facepalm. Honestly, this fact came as quite a relief to him, but it also should have been obvious to him… All she wanted to do was discuss music with him half the time; how did he not realize this sooner? "Tae… How did you know that's when all of this started?"

"Well, I know her. Sort of. I talk to her now and then in one of my classes. I don't remember how, but there was one day we just started talking about you, and she told me that's when she first started getting into you I guess. She said your music was amazing." Taehyung shrugged. He personally thought that this girl was pretty cool, but at the same time, he really didn't know what to think about this whole issue with Yoongi.

Yoongi couldn't deny how surprised he was to hear about all of this… Everything just seemed so much clearer to him, and now he was starting to understand how to handle this whole situation, "Alright… thanks Tae." He stated as he turned to leave and walk all the way down the hall to the master bedroom. With a quiet knock, he opened the door and leaned on the door frame as he peeked in just for a moment, "Hey, Ji- ahem, sorry, habit…" Yoongi remarked as he tried to recall what his real name was so that his mother wouldn't be so confused, "Uh… Andy? Sorry I interrupted your call, but I just wanted to remind you that we leave in about an hour and a half, and you've got to get your homework done. So… yeah. Resume your conversation." Once he received a nod from Jimin, he closed the door and headed to his own room to take a nap and relax.

"It's nice of him to check in on you like that. Is that normal?" Mrs. Cimabue asked a few seconds after Yoongi had left. She was grateful that the other housemates seemed to be looking out for her son. It was important that he pay attention to his studies, even on his birthday.

"Uh… yeah, we all kind of look after each other with different things. I really like it here." Jimin admitted with a sheepish grin. He knew that his mom was most interested in his studies than anything, but he also wanted to assure her that his social life was rather good as well. She did care about his social well-being, but she didn't ask about it as much.

"I'm glad you have that there, Andy… I just hope you know that you can always talk to us as well if there's anything you need. I do wish we could talk more…" His mother offered him a sad smile, hoping he understood that she didn't think he contacted them enough. It was already October, and he only talked on the phone with her once a week, and this was the first Skype call.

Jimin took a deep breath as he tried to figure out how to explain to her why this was… He knew if he brought it up she would be upset, but he just wanted the support that she insisted he already had… "I know, I know, it's just… I've been really busy with school and… and… well there's this project we've been working on for a class and there's a lot of work we have to put into it… We have to condition ourselves for this and so a lot of our time is put towards-"

"Honey, please tell me this doesn't involve this dancing nonsense again…" Mrs. Cimabue looked Jimin in the eyes as she awaited his answer, and she did not look pleased. Then again, neither did his father…

"Andy, if this really is about dancing, you and I are about to share a few choice words." His father warned him, a glare practically staring straight into Jimin's soul, even through the computer screen.

"But Dad, if you just listen-"

"Andy, we've told you over and over again not to keep messing with that d*** hobby of yours. If you want some kind of exercise to get into, go into something useful and manly like baseball or track or whatever you've got up there at that d*** school. I'm tired of hearing my own kid talk about some kind of sissy..." his dad paused as he waved his hands around a little to try and find the words he wanted to use "dance club or project or whatever the hell you're getting yourself into. Don't waste your time anymore on this, do you hear me?"

Jimin clenched his fists as he tried to figure out what to say next. He was seriously holding himself back at this point because he had so much he wanted to say. He hated every time they discussed this because it always ended the same. He could never get a word in to argue his point, and he could never practice dancing without being grounded or scolded for it. However, this time he was completely aware of the advantage he had, and he was going to use it. The thing is… he'd rather have his parents' support on this. They mattered to him, and every word that came out of his parents' mouth on the matter cut him like the edge of a sharpened blade… Unfortunately, he couldn't help but release his anger towards the situation by snapping back at his father and raising his voice, "Yeah, I hear you Dad, but believe me, I'd rather not. I enjoy dancing, okay?! This is something that helps me rid myself of all of the stress my schoolwork puts on me. Dancing is a way for me to socialize with my friends and exercise at the same time! I don't care if you see it as an activity I should be in or not! If I enjoy it, don't you think I deserve the support of my own parents to continue doing something that I love? You have no idea how it feels for me to deal with this every time I bring it up, and-"

"Then why do you do it?! Why bring it up if you know we're going to say the same thing every time? Do you feel good knowing that you disappoint us every time you disobey our wishes?" His dad was absolutely furious…

"Do you really think that I could possibly feel good about myself knowing that I'm doing something you don't approve of? I haven't brought it up for months because I knew you'd have this reaction, but I can't help it! I want your support more than anything! Can't you see that?" Jimin could feel the tears welling up in his eyes the longer he argued the point. He knew this was going nowhere… He knew that he was just spewing out words that were lost in thin air, but he at least had to try defending himself.

"Honey, you have our support in everything! It's just that this whole dancing thing is-" Mrs. Cimabue began before being interrupted by Mr. Cimabue once more.

"It's really getting out of hand. There is literally no use in dancing, no point at all! It's complete and utter nonsense! You're wasting your time on that crap when you could be using it for the important things in life. You could be investing in your future, and yet here you are fooling around! You're 19 years old now, and I'd think you'd have matured enough by now to know what's good for you." He continued to scold him.

"You're wrong! And I'm done arguing this with you because this conversation is what's truly pointless." Jimin finally silenced them by slamming his laptop shut and pushing it away as he simultaneously stood to his feet and threw himself backwards onto Jungkook's bed. He pressed the palms of his hands to his forehead and closed his eyes tightly shut as he tried to stop the tears that had begun to flow down his burning cheeks. He was frustrated and hurt that his parents couldn't see what he wished for them to see… This was the one wish he wanted to be granted for his birthday, and it was no closer to being answered than it was when he first became interested in dancing. It didn't seem to matter how much time passed or how old he was… they were never going to change their opinion.

"Hey, don't go in just yet…" Namjoon insisted in a whisper once he noticed Jungkook reaching for the handle of the master bedroom's door. He and the others had overheard some of the argument because Jimin and his father had been yelling at each other, so everyone in the house had gone quiet as the tension rose in the household, "I think he needs a bit of time to cool down, so let's just go back to the living room for now." he gestured for Jungkook to make his way down the hall so that he could follow after.

Each of the housemates exchanged glances of uncertainty… All of them wanted to cheer Jimin up somehow, but they didn't exactly want to impede upon his privacy. What upset them most was that it was his birthday, and he was far from happy… "We'll give him about 15 minutes to calm down and then we can try and help him from there. I don't know anyone who likes to talk when they're mad…" Namjoon stated as he and Jungkook took a seat on the couch among the others.

"Jimin usually cheers up pretty well when we rough house with him or joke with him. Maybe we can do that?" Taehyung suggested, all too eager to do anything to make his friend happier.

"I mean, that's helped when he's sad, but I've never seen him this upset before. Now that I think of it, I've never seen any of you guys this upset. I mean, I've seen some of you get irritable and grumpy…" Yoongi commented as he contemplated over what should be done. He honestly agreed with Namjoon on the matter; Jimin needed time to cool off. So the group waited for time to pass until they could help their friend, too distracted by the situation at hand to even put any more thought to the homework they needed to be working on. However, after just 12 minutes, they heard the farthest door down the hall open and quickly pretended to be doing their schoolwork as Jimin passed through the living room to reach the kitchen and grab himself a cup of water.

The silence that Jimin was able to take in after he Skype call with his parents had both calmed him and saddened him… He was no longer so fired up, but his mind was overrun with his father's words echoing in his head and an enormous amount of self-doubt. His self-esteem was definitely in the dumps… Rather than stay in his room and allow these thoughts to devour him, he knew he'd feel significantly better if he grabbed himself a cup of water and joined his friends' company. Unfortunately he had become aware that they had overheard at least part of the argument. There was always someone in the group who asked him about his parents and how they were doing every phone call he had with them; all of them were pretty nosey about each other's phone calls honestly. But this time… they didn't say a word even when he returned to the living room with his water in hand. With a sigh, Jimin maneuvered around the back of the couch and seated himself on the carpet in the center of their attention so he could speak and get this over with…

"Guys, I know you heard some of my argument with my parents… Or at least some of you did." Jimin stated as he looked around the room only to find that half of them couldn't even look him in the eye, and those that could merely frowned and nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm not upset about it, but I do want to get a few things off my chest to sort of clear everything up. First of all, I've been into dancing, specifically hip hop, for a while now… My parents have never seen me practice, and part of me never wants them to. They think dancing is strictly a girl thing and see no potential in it being important to my future, so they don't understand why I waste my time dabbling in it. They're rather closed-minded in that aspect… Honestly, when I came to college I was going to give it up. I believed my parents were right, that if I practiced here I'd be ridiculed for it… But then Yoongi hyung suggested this whole project thing… and I just… I don't know, I felt like I could finally show who I was. I no longer felt the burden of wondering if I could fit in completely. And then I discovered that Hoseok Hyung- you are the best dancer I have ever met! I mean, I was completely blown away when we all had our first dance practice together. But before we even started dancing, we were practicing the song Yoongi hyung finished writing a few weeks ago, and I realized that I have just as much of a passion for singing as I do dancing. Maybe it's because "No More Dream" really rings true for me… just as it does for many of us. The thing is… I know I shouldn't have brought it up with my parents today. It was my fault that the argument started. I just thought that with it being a school project and with all the hard work we're putting into this, they may have eased up a little I guess… I just want you all to know that I'm not giving up on what we've started, even if it's against my parents' wishes. I think I need to start following my own dream for once, just like you wrote in that song, Yoongi hyung." Jimin finished with a small smile. He felt relieved to have all of that off his chest, but he gradually became embarrassed about all he had said and began to laugh a little as he covered his mouth and turned away, "Sorry, I'm not used to being so serious with you guys, this is really weird."

The other housemates exchanged glances with one another as they wondered who would say something first… Jungkook, Namjoon, and Jin all remained quite serious about the matter at hand, but Hoseok, Taehyung, and Yoongi were all cracking smiles because of Jimin's last statement. "It's true we've not really held many serious conversations with each other, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I mean… if we are to help each other through these situations, we kind of need to have an understanding of one another." Taehyung stated with a soft grin of sorts.

"For once, I agree with Taehyung. And also… I think it's about time you follow your dream. I mean… if this project goes well, maybe we'll even continue on with it. You never know what the future holds." Yoongi commented as he watched Jin offer Jimin a pat to the shoulder.

"Thanks for telling us what was on your mind. It's definitely never easy, but hopefully you feel better now that you've vented." Jin stood to his feet and turned to all of them, "Now all of you need to get back to homework because we leave for mission in an hour. Unfortunately, that means you, too, Jimin. If you want to make your parents proud, proving that you can keep up with your studies while practicing will definitely help your situation."

All of the boys groaned at Jin's remark; the thought of doing homework now was absolutely dreadful, "Yes, MOM. Would you like us to do the dishes, too?" Hoseok joked as he stood to his feet and stretched.

"You know, that's not a bad idea." Jin placed an arm around Hoseok's shoulders and began to walk him towards the kitchen, though Hoseok began to try and pull away from him when he realized he was actually considering it.

"It was a joke, it was a joke! I've got to go do my homework!" Hoseok cried out as he struggled to get out of Jin's hold on him.

"Look at all of those dishes in the sink! Wow, they're sitting there just for you. I'm so glad you offered to take care of them!" Jin laughed as he pulled Hoseok along.

"Hey, hey, hey! This isn't fair! Most of those dishes aren't even mine!" Hoseok complained, hoping he could convince Jin to release him and get someone else to get the job done.

"Yeah, most of those are actually Taehyung's! Jungkook and I have caught him throwing his dishes in there a few times." Jimin informed Jin as he quickly ran away from Taehyung towards their room so he could escape the consequences of ratting him out.

"Alright, alright, I'll take care of the dishes. Go do your homework." Jin released Hoseok and gestured for him to leave and at that moment realized that Namjoon was already pulling up his sleeves and walking towards the sink, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked him, honestly worried for the dishes at this point, "Wait, how about I wash the glass dishes, and you can wash everything else?" he suggested.

Namjoon rolled his eyes as he began to separate the dishes as asked, "I was planning on being careful. I don't always break things…" he commented, though in his mind he couldn't think of many instances in which he didn't break something.

"I didn't say anything about you breaking anything. I just wanted to be safe." Jin laughed a little as he began to assist him in washing. The two of them didn't really have all that much homework and they had a little planning to discuss as well, so washing dishes was a good way to cover that up…

When the clock struck 6:15 p.m., all seven of them left the house to head for the safe zone located between Draper and Jelkyl Drama Center, though it would not be declared safe until 6:30. Jin insisted that the group practice their Korean vocabulary until 7:30, which was when their mission debriefing would begin.

Finally it was time for mission and the real zombie war to begin! Even though there were only 5 zombies at the start of this mission, they knew they couldn't simply give up their guard, especially when the original zombie was still unknown. The humans' mission was to search for missing parts that were spread across campus, which were necessary to obtain in order for the head scientist to proceed with the research for the zombie cure. The humans separated into teams and were warned to be completely aware of all of their surroundings and constantly stun check their teammates in case one of them was the original zombie. Amazingly enough, the original zombie was never seen throughout the entire mission, which simply wasn't normal… Usually people would know who the original zombie was by the end of the first day, but it seemed as though this original zombie was keeping his or her identity a secret. Thankfully for the humans, the zombies were not able to win anyone over to their side simply because five zombies against 66 humans basically guaranteed failure for the zombies.

As mission came to an end at 10:04, all of the humans dispersed to return to their dorm rooms or their houses, and as they all broke apart to go their separate ways, Yoongi reached over and placed a hand on Namjoon's back to push him into one spot and then noticed the others weren't really paying attention either, so he also began to gather Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok by either grabbing their upper arms or pushing their backs to where they were in a circle. "Guy, come here. Gather in a circle for just a sec, okay?" Because Jungkook and Jin were already positioned in the circle when they realized that's what he wanted, he assumed he had grabbed their attention as well and cleared his throat, "Alright, so we all know today is a really special day for two reasons: one, it's our Jimin's birthday today, and we're glad he's with us. The house definitely would not be complete without him, and I'm actually glad that we've kind of bonded a little bit earlier… Even though it was over something a little personal, I think our Jimin handled himself very well, and I think he's definitely showing that step-up in age… Yeah. ahem… Mushy stuff." he scrunched up his nose to show his disgust in the matter. Well… his facade of disgust. "Second, this is our first night for mission together doing something as crazy as humans vs. zombies. I mean… I can't believe I chose to do something this active on purpose. We all know Jin hyung is very convincing. Still, I just wanted to get my feelings out there and well…" he took a deep sigh and pursed his lips, not realizing that Jungkook and Jin had suddenly decided to sneak off, "This is a very special moment indeed. You guys... are now my zombie brethren." A sly grin immediately found its way to his lips, and he suddenly broke out into a small dance of sorts, spinning around and swinging his arms this way and that as he cheered silently.

The four remaining housemates stared at Yoongi, completely dumbstruck. How did he…? When…? What? "Wait, Yoongi hyung, you're… YOU'RE the original zombie?" Taehyung asked in disbelief.

Yoongi was about to answer the question once he calmed himself down, but when his eyes scanned the group, he came to the realization that Jin and Jungkook were nowhere to be found and then it hit him… HE DIDN'T TAG THEM. Quickly, his eyes looked to the nearby crosswalk and watched as they began running across, waving to the group as they did so, "HYUNG! JUNGKOOK! GET BACK HERE!" Yoongi shouted, though he didn't even bother running. They were already across the street, and he'd have to wait for the stupid light… "Well… I guess everyone knows who the original zombie is now… It was fun while it lasted, but man was I tired of being sneaky with everything. You know I had to force myself to get up earlier?" he shook his head as he gestured for them to follow him to the crosswalk, "You guys are coming, aren't you?"

"... You're not really. Right? You're just joking. I mean… you were there in class when the website updated and told us another zombie had been found." Jimin commented skeptically.

"Yeah, that's right. I made it that way so you would think I wasn't it. I told you I was working when I was actually hunting humans. Sorry for lying, but I had to play the original zombie out perfectly. You only get one shot." Yoongi shrugged with a smirk. His poor housemates were so unsuspecting…

"No way… Prove it. Go ahead and register us as zombies." Namjoon insisted as he handed him his ID so he could put in the number onto the website.

"You mean, you don't trust me? Gee, that hurts Namjoon." Yoongi gave him a fake pout as he took the ID card and logged onto the HVZ website on his phone. He then entered in the number and within seconds, the HVZ site declared Namjoon as a zombie, tagged by the original zombie.

"... Amazing. How did you act so well, hyung? You're a natural!" Hoseok exclaimed, obviously impressed by Yoongi's tactics. "It's just too bad that Jin hyung and Jungkook got away. At least they live with us; they'll be pretty easy to catch."

"You know something, Hoseok? You literally illuminate positivity. You reek of it. I mean, you almost convince me that there's hope for us to catch them without a problem…" Namjoon remarked with a shake of his head.

"But…?" Hoseok knew there was something more to his statement.

"You forget that Jungkook is on the track team and Jin has been playing this game for two years already. They have the advantage." Namjoon replied with a sigh,"Of all people that you forgot to tag… Why them? Better question, why did you tag me first?" he seemed to be a little bitter…

"I thought I tagged them because they were already in the circle, okay? I got a little excited when it was finally time for me to speak, so I messed up. Anyway, I chose you first because you were right next to me. Less work for me to do." Yoongi replied as they finally began their walk back to the house.

Upon their arrival to the house, Jungkook and Jin were already at the dining room table with their HVZ gear put away in their rooms, and as the housemates gathered into the kitchen, the two of them couldn't help but laugh as the rest of them complained. "You guys suck. How could you just walk away like that without saying anything?" Namjoon pulled out one of the dining room chairs and sat himself down at the table to join them as Yoongi received a phone call and went outside once more.

"You guys were already zombies by the time we realized Yoongi was setting a trap. Personally I noticed he was being strangely physical. Yoongi doesn't usually go out of his way to grab the attention of four people in a row by grabbing their arm or placing a hand on their back. So I thought it was suspicious…" Jin replied before turning his head to look at Jungkook, "What about you? When did you notice that he was the original zombie?"

"Well… I thought he was actually pretty convincing until he started talking and rambling on about things he wouldn't normally talk about. He doesn't discuss his feelings so openly, so it was just weird…" Jungkook laughed.

"I wasn't even paying attention… I was so tired after the mission that I forgot that we still had to keep an eye out all the way home." Taehyung sighed, "I guess we're zombies now though… Come on, let's go put our stuff up." he suggested to Jimin. As soon as the two of them were seen entering the master bedroom, the rest of them quickly began shuffling around to grab their presents from the kitchen cabinets, having put them in there before the mission for quick access. Yoongi soon came inside once he was signaled through the window, and he entered through the front door with two Papa John's pizza boxes carried in his arms. As Jin hung up a happy birthday sign over the kitchen entrance, Yoongi opened the top pizza box and quickly stuck a candle into each of the 8 slices as best he could and took out his lighter to ignite a flame on every candle.

"Yoongi, I told you not to put the candles on the pizza; it's tacky!" Jin complained in a whisper as he continued to fix the sign.

"So what if it's tacky? He needs candles." Yoongi disagreed, glancing over at Hoseok and Jungkook to make sure they were setting up the presents correctly. Honestly, they could set them on the floor and he himself would probably be satisfied. Jin was a little more particular about things.

Jin shook his head as he finished with the sign and checked to make sure everything was in order, and just when he was about to get the boys himself, he heard them coming down the hallway with Jimin in the lead.

"I'm telling you, it really does smell like pi… zza?" Jimin had been arguing with Tae about the smell up until now but when he walked into the kitchen he didn't expect to find that somehow everything had changed in just a matter of minutes. He had to admit, they worked fast! "Well… it smells like pizza… and it looks like pizza. But in reality, it's-"

"It's pizza." Yoongi interrupted Taehyung before he got too carried away.

"Alright, alright, let's sing so he can blow the candles out before they fall over." Jin laughed as he counted "1,2,3" and they all began to sing happy birthday together for Jimin. As the song continued, Jungkook maneuvered around his housemates to reach Jimin and placed an Avengers-themed party hat upon his head just in time for the end of the song. Once Jimin thought of a wish, he quickly blew out the candles on the pizza, laughing once it was over with, "That is definitely the first time I've ever made a birthday wish on a pizza."

"Blame Jin. Your cake is in the fridge because Jin thought it was too late for cake." Hoseok informed him, finding it humorous as well. "We were going to throw the party earlier, but with everything that was going on, we decided it was best to do it after mission." he said as he handed a present to him.

Jimin was rather amused by the fact that Jin wouldn't allow him to eat a birthday cake they had bought specifically for the party simply because it was too late. Jin really was like a mother, looking out for them in so many ways. He was positive that with all of the sugar he would have in his system after eating a slice of cake, he would be up significantly later than he would otherwise. When he took hold of the present Hoseok gave him, he cautiously tore the wrapping paper off due to the others' experiences with their first gifts, and as soon as he saw what it was, he immediately began to laugh and practically hugged the nearby wall at its corner, "What is this?!" he was so embarrassed that they actually bought him an article of clothing that he had to question wearing in public.

"What do you mean 'what is this'?" Hoseok laughed as he approached Jimin and took hold of the shirt he held in his hand. He unfolded it fully and held it up to his own torso to show Jimin what it was supposed to look like, "It's a six pack. For you to wear over your six pack. You know, so that you have a twelve pack." he joked, "But promise me that whenever we decide to go to the gym together, I get to borrow this shirt so that I can look just as good as you while I'm working out." The entire household erupted in laughter at Hoseok's explanation and request while poor Jimin completely lost it as he slid down the wall into a squat and hid his face in his hands to hide the redness in his cheeks.

"Wait, he's MY workout partner. Why would you be the one to wear the shirt?" Jungkook questioned him with a laugh as he stood from his seat at the table and approached Jimin, "You okay, hyung? Here, I'll help you." he said as he wrapped his arms around Jimin's upper torso and lifted him up as much as he could. However, Jimin went completely limp on him and allowed him to just drag him back to the table. He tried to get Jimin to stand up on his own, but he pretended that he was unable to do so and just lay on the ground instead. "You see what you guys did? You killed him!"

"You can't blame us. This was a team effort, you included." Yoongi commented defensively as he gently kicked Jimin's side to grab his attention, "Come on, get up and open more presents; this zombie has had a tiring day…" he complained with a yawn.

"I'd hate to take away your opportunity sleep after what you did to us tonight…" Jimin remarked sarcastically as he stood up and sat himself down in Jungkook's chair beside Jin.

"If you take away from my sleep on purpose, you will truly regret it." Yoongi replied with a glare as a simple warning to his housemate. No way was he going to tolerate losing sleep on anyone's account, unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Here, open this." Taehyung insisted as he handed him a dark blue, medium-sized gift bag with white tissue paper hiding the gifts inside.

Jimin couldn't deny that Yoongi was actually very intimidating when he wanted to be, but he still enjoyed messing with him. He was very aware that Yoongi's outward personality was a cover for his soft interior, and he just loved teasing him for just about anything whenever he had the opportunity. His attention was soon taken by Taehyung and the gift and practically pushed into his hands, and he eagerly pulled out the tissue paper followed by a navy blue Captain America Shield Tank and matching Captain America ankle socks. Again, he was laughing, "You guys are seriously making me look like a nerd, you know that right?"

"Jimin, you ARE a nerd. We're just helping you show everyone what you truly are." Jin joked as he picked up another present from beneath the table and offered it up to Jimin, "Okay, this is the last one… We all thought that these would be especially fitting for you, and well… we thought you could use a good pair…" he stated as he urged Jimin to open the Nike box, only to reveal a pair of men's Timberland premium waterproof boots, "They were a little expensive, but we all chipped in because you've been complaining about how much it rains in Berea. Not to mention, you've gotten sick a couple of times probably because your socks always get wet and your feet stay cold all day. Of course, you could always learn not to walk in the puddles…" he joked towards the end.

"Wow… thanks guys. Seriously, these are some nice boots. I really like them… Exactly how expensive were they?" Jimin asked as he lifted the left boot out of the box to examine it. He was amazed by how authentic the boot looked and felt, and he honestly couldn't wait to wear them the next day to try them out. Surprisingly, they were rather fashionable for a pair of tan boots!

"Uh… there's a reason people remove tags from presents. Just do us a favor and use them well." Namjoon replied jokingly as they all stood by and watched Jimin's expression. They were all relieved that he liked the presents, and after the argument with his parents, they couldn't be happier to provide him with at least some joy on his birthday.

After opening the presents, the boys ate their late dinner and stayed up for another hour or so before heading to bed to catch some rest for the following school day. However, now that most of the household consisted of zombies, Jungkook shortened his rest by waking up an hour earlier than usual and speeding up his morning routine so he could avoid as many zombie encounters as possible. He wanted to survive throughout the week, even if the paranoia of being attacked by a zombie was constantly bothering him. Throughout the day, the zombies tagged a total of 17 humans, raising the total zombie count to 27 and lowering the number of humans to 44 by the end of the second mission. However, Jungkook and Jin were still continuing into their third day as humans. The very beginning of that third day only revealed that this day would be harder to live through than the last.

The five zombies of the household purposely made no attempt to catch Jungkook the previous morning to see what time he would get up to escape their grasps, so now that they had a general time frame of when he would be leaving the house, they prepared an ambush outside the front door by 5:45 a.m. while Jungkook was taking his shower.

Jungkook woke himself up at 5:30, took a shower and clothed himself, ate a light breakfast, and then finally slipped on his shoes and backpack. Once he tightened his white bandana around his left arm to signify his human status, he returned to his room to grab his two nerf guns and then gathered several duck-taped sock balls into his backpack. He was going to leave the room, but he paused when he realized… he didn't hear his roommates. Hoseok and Jimin weren't exactly loud sleepers, but he could usually at least hear Hoseok's breathing, if ever so slightly… His eyes scanned the body-shaped lumps on the beds, but something seemed off. Quietly, he approached the bunk bed and reached over to pull back Jimin's blanket only to find a pillow underneath instead! Classic… With a smirk, Jungkook unlocked the nearby window and opened it as silently as possible. He stuck his head out and turned his head left and right to make sure all was clear. Without a second thought, he carefully removed his bag from its spot on his back and lowered it outside the window to the ground and soon enough, he lowered himself down to the ground, slipped his arms through the shoulder straps of his backpack once more, and then began his quest to the Draper building across campus. Obviously, he was trying his best to stay out of sight, but part of him really wanted to come out of the shadows at some point to let the guys know that he was safe away from their reach…

The entire time Jungkook was getting ready and doing whatever he needed to get done in the house, the zombies outside, marked by red bandanas around their heads and left arms, were struggling a little…

"Psst! Any sign of him?" Jimin asked in a whisper, his back firmly pressed against the porch wall directly beside the three stairs steps down to the grass. It was currently a little dark outside, but the lights from inside the living room of the house shined bright enough to illuminate some of their faces.

"I've not seen anything… Why don't you take a look for yourself through the window?" Namjoon asked from his spot against the wall of the house beside the porch itself.

"I would, but Yoongi hyung is sleeping… I don't think he's meant to be out this early." Jimin replied, looking to his left to check and see if Yoongi was still fast asleep. Sure enough, his eyes were tightly shut as his head lay loosely on Jimin's shoulder.

"What do you mean he's asleep? He can't be sleeping at a time like this! Jungkook will be out any minute now…" Taehyung stated as he crept across the porch and down the steps until he squatted in front of Yoongi. "Should we wake him? I think he'd be pretty upset for getting up so early in the first place only to find out that we didn't catch him and didn't wake him up to help, don't you think?"

"I agree. He hates wasting energy…" Hoseok said as he left from his spot on the opposite side of the porch from Namjoon and sat himself on the other side of Yoongi. He reached out and began to wave his fingers back and forth across the bottom of his chin, his fingertips just barely touching him as he spoke in a sing-song way, "nyu, nyu, nyu, nyu, nyu, nyu, nyu, nyu, etc." He then began to pinch the skin underneath his chin as he continued on, but Yoongi's eyes opened quickly into an ominous glare that immediately made Hoseok retreat a couple of feet as he tried to stifle his laughter so as not to give away their position.

"What the hell are you doing..?" Yoongi mumbled grumpily, still refusing to remove his head from Jimin's shoulder. He wanted more sleep…

"We thought we should wake you up so that you didn't miss out on the action. Jungkook will be coming out any minute now, so we didn't want you to have woken up in vain…" Taehyung replied before standing to return to his spot on the porch where he hid in the shadow of a chair near the door.

"Why did I even let you guys talk me into this…" Yoongi complained as he finally forced himself to sit up and then resumed his glare in Hoseok's direction, "Wake me up like that again, I will kill you."

Namjoon laughed quietly, "You better be careful, Hoseok." he teased him as his eyes shifted towards the sidewalk several yards away when he spotted a figure waving at them in the corner of his eye. Because this person was so far away and the sun was just barely peaking over the horizon, he had to squint to see who it was, and as soon as he realized it, his jaw dropped, "How… How did he..? Guys, that's Jungkook!" he pointed out just as Jungkook gave a whistle with his thumb and index finger and waved again to get their attention. He was still walking backwards as he grabbed their attention, just to make sure they weren't too close to him.

"Whoa, what?! Where?! I'm gonna kill him. That boy is-" Yoongi stood to his feet, ready to catch him, but he paused when he realized how far away he was, "Just kidding. I'm going back to bed." he patted Jimin's shoulder as he left his side and made his way back inside the house. He wasn't about to chase Jungkook down, especially when he had a head start that he didn't need.

"But, hyung, we could all catch him together. Come back!" Hoseok insisted as he followed Yoongi to try and convince him otherwise.

"No, he's right. Jungkook's got the advantage already; we don't have a chance of catching him. Let's try again later." Namjoon replied as he and the others hesitantly followed them inside. This was a serious let down for them, considering they woke up really early just to catch him.

"Dang it… he must have snuck out the bedroom window. But how did he know we were out there?" Taehyung frowned as he closed the front door behind him. "I guess he probably realized that we weren't in our beds. Maybe our bodies looked too fat with the pillows." he joked slightly.

"You know, I almost feel bad for you guys… Still, I don't think you'll catch me or Jungkook today." Jin stated from his seat at the breakfast bar as he took a sip of the milk he held in his hand. He seemed to be rather proud of their maknae for making such a slick escape.

Sure enough, just as Jin had predicted, he and Jungkook survived through the day without being tagged by any of the zombies that were threatening to take over the human race. However, many attempts were made to catch the two of them… When Jin was leaving his first class in Draper, two zombies waited outside one of the exits while three waited at the other, knowing fully well that Jin had to get to class somehow. Unfortunately for them, Jin was fully aware of their plan thanks to Jungkook's text, and he used the back exit to avoid the ambush and ambush them instead. After all, he couldn't get across campus without stunning all of them first; otherwise, he'd be outmatched in a chase. Jimin and Hoseok had also made an attempt to tag Jungkook, running across campus towards the crosswalk that led to the Alumni Building and Fairchild Hall. Yoongi was driving his Public Safety Golf Cart at the time, and though he was unable to participate as a zombie while on the job, he cut corners and blocked Jungkook a few times to slow him down. Again, they failed because Jungkook gave up on running and finally turned around to shoot them with his nerf guns… Yoongi was disappointed.

Though the zombies' efforts to catch Jin and Jungkook had failed, they succeeded to finally exceed the human population (of those playing the game of course) with the zombie count rising to 43 and the human count declining to 28 by the end of the third mission. It just so happens that the HVZ players also unintentionally interrupted the astronomy class as they were stargazing on the alumni field; how were they supposed to know that there was a class down there?! Needless to say, the players were reprimanded by the astronomy teacher for their actions and had to clear the area, which gave Jin and Jungkook this opportunity as a distraction in order for them to run to the science building without any problem at all. They had planned to stay the night in the building earlier in the day after their housemates' attempted an ambush, but the astronomy teacher's opposition to their presence at alumni field towards the end of mission gave them a headstart to the building that the zombies didn't expect. Of course, no one knew that Jungkook and Jin would be staying the night there, and for an entire hour their housemates still expected them to return. When they realized the house should finally be locked up for the night, Taehyung took the initiative to text Jin first while the others gathered around him at the couch for the response.

 **Kim Taehyung:** You guys are coming back right? We're getting ready to lock up

 **Jin Hyung:** Go ahead and lock the doors. Don't forget to make sure the windows are shut and locked as well. Jungkook and I are staying out.

"Ahhh those cowards!" Hoseok commented with a laugh and a groan to follow it, completely appalled that their friends were staying somewhere that remained to be a mystery to them, "They're not coming back because they know we'd catch them tomorrow; that's what it is. Tell him that we're worried and that they shouldn't be fooling around like this. I mean, where could they possibly be staying right now? Jungkook wouldn't sleep well at some stranger's place if Jin took him to a friend's house." he pointed out with concern, though he also just really wanted to tag them…

 **Kim Taehyung:** Where are you staying? We're worried, come back home

 **Jin Hyung:** Don't worry. We're both comfortable here, and the doors are also secure.

"Here, give me the phone." Yoongi insisted as he gestured for Taehyung to hand it to him. Once it was placed in his hand, he responded to Jin's message himself.

 **Kim Taehyung:** Listen, just come back home. Namjoon is hungry again and threatening to cook while Jimin is eating his birthday cake with Hoseok. This house is going to be torn apart if you don't come back.

 **Jin Hyung:** Yoongi, give yourself a little credit. I have faith that you can take care of the house while I'm gone, and Namjoon can, too, as long as he doesn't touch anything. Just make sure the kitchen is off limits. If Hoseok and Jimin eat that cake at this hour, they're going to stay up too late and probably keep Taehyung up, and all of them will be exhausted in the morning.

"... Am I the only one who thinks Hyung sounds like a mother a lot of the time?" Jimin asked as he read the message from over Yoongi's shoulder and smiled a bit at the response, "He's always telling us to do what's right and bossing us around."

"He really does. I'm a little offended that he said I shouldn't touch anything though; I'm not THAT bad, seriously…" Namjoon complained with a shake of his head.

The others glanced at Namjoon for a moment to express their disagreement before their attention was pulled back to Taehyung's phone when it chimed.

 **Jin Hyung:** If they're exhausted tomorrow, I'm afraid they won't give us a challenge, so if I were you, I'd make sure they're not eating that cake.

"I've got an idea… text Jungkook. Tell him that he left some of his clothes in the dryer and that we're having to take them out so we can do our laundry." Jimin suggested with a grin. He was sure that the others agreed with him that Jin wasn't going to be convinced by anything to return home, so it was time to try something else.

"What good will that do? I'd think he'd be grateful for someone taking care of his laundry for him…" Namjoon grimaced at the idea. He wasn't Jungkook's roommate and was honestly never interested in doing other people's laundry, so he wasn't aware of Jungkook's strange dislike for other's touching his clothes. Even Hoseok and Yoongi seemed to be confused.

"Most people would probably agree with you, but Jungkook is kind of unique… Jin offered to do our laundry once when he saw our room; I'll admit, it was kind of a mess, but anyway, Jimin and I agreed to it only because Jin hyung was switching his clothes to the dryer and it wasn't too much of a hassle to refill it, you know? Jungkook just immediately started picking up his clothes and set them in a pile by the door, saying he'd take care of it as soon as our clothes were done. He insisted that he didn't like others doing his laundry and touching his clothes." Taehyung explained to them in a matter-of-fact way.

Yoongi grinned and promptly handed Taehyung his phone back and pulled out his own, selecting Jungkook's contact as he questioned Hoseok, "Does Jungkook actually have clothes in the dryer? It wouldn't be believable if he didn't, even if he's forgetful at times. If he doesn't have clothes in the machines, does he have dirty clothes in the room? We can always threaten to do his laundry."

"Yeah, he's got clothes that need to be done. He's got a hamper that's half-full, and a few are on the ground next to the hamper. He's even got some shirts hanging off the foot of his bed." Jimin mused with a laugh; he didn't quite understand the youngest member of their household in this particular matter.

Yoongi couldn't help but to laugh with the others about Jungkook's strange qualities as he finally texted the maknae in hopes that he would believe them.

 **Mint Yoongi Hyung:** I'm going to make this plain and simple. If you don't come back home tonight, we're putting your clothes in the wash.

Jungkook sat on the dark green, sunken-in couch in the chemistry TA lounge with Jin sitting beside him. Until now, he and Jin had been amused by the texts Jin was receiving, but after waiting several moments for Jin to receive a notification, his own phone's text alarm went off instead. "Hey, Yoongi hyung texted me." he informed Jin as he slid his thumb across the touch screen, entered his four-number password, and then opened the message. He didn't have the time to read it by the time Jin began questioning him.

Jin leaned over to see what Yoongi had to say, but instead of reading the message instantly, his eyes fell upon Yoong's contact name. With a small sputter of laughter, he pointed at the name with his index finger, "Jungkookie, did you misspell Min Yoongi's name?"

A grin crawled across Jungkook's lips as he shook his head, slightly embarrassed that one of his hyung's titles on his phone was exposed, "No, it's um… it's intentional. At first I had him listed as 'Lazy Hyung'. It wasn't meant to be rude or anything, but I sort of admire his ability to get things done with the incentive to be lazy afterwards… I'm not sure I know how to explain it. But I changed it because we were learning our Korean names, and I thought I should incorporate them into my contacts. When I adjusted more to the names, I started editing them again. I thought 'how can I make his title personal without changing it too much'? So I changed it to Mint Yoongi Hyung because… I had never had mint ice cream until Tae hyung bought me some at the Dairy Queen not too far away. The first spoonful of the ice cream, I thought 'wow, this is powerful…' The mint in the ice cream was really strong, and at first I didn't like it. Of course, I kept eating it because I didn't want to waste it, especially since he bought it for me. So the more I continued to eat it, the more I came to the decision that I really just didn't know how to feel about it. I liked it, but it was still weird." he explained, ignoring the text Yoongi had sent him as he did so, "Anyway, to me Yoongi reminds me of that ice cream. The first time I met him he chased me down, took me under his wing, and defended me against Paul, all in one day. He was intimidating, but he was also strong in my eyes… I was afraid of him for the longest time, you know? And the longer I've stayed at the house with all of you, the more I've come to enjoy all of your company. Yoongi hyung can just be a little hard to read at times… Honestly, all of you are though. I'm still adjusting to social life." he laughed a little.

Jungkook's lengthy explanation came as a surprise to Jin, mainly because Jungkook hardly spoke that much at once. Jin had noticed that the maknae was growing socially throughout the semester thus far, and he was more than happy to be able to witness such a drastic change in his personality. Of course, Jin was laughing after Jungkook finished his piece simply because he compared Yoongi to mint ice cream, "I have never heard anyone compare another person to an ice cream flavor… I wouldn't suggest showing that to Yoongi… Oh, speaking of, you should probably read what he sent you."

"Oh, right…" Jungkook had been so distracted by telling the story being Yoongi's contact name that he had forgotten to even read the text he had been sent. However, as soon as he had finished reading it, his eyes went wide, and his face became completely serious. "He's… He's saying that if I don't come back he's going to do my laundry… You don't think he'd actually do it, do you?" He actually sounded panicked...

Jin sighed and ran a hand through his hair as though brushing it back would help his head feel a little lighter, "Unfortunately, you can never really tell if Yoongi is bluffing or not with these sorts of things… He can easily do it, but whether or not he will is what I'm unsure of… "But do you really want to risk returning to the house and getting tagged just to spare your clothes from being washed by someone else?"

Jungkook took a few moments to ponder Jin's question… Clothes or human status? He truly preferred not to give up either, but it didn't seem as though it was an option not to… Why did it matter so much to him that his clothes were left untouched? Honestly, deep down he still felt as though something would happen to his clothing if he wasn't the one handling the garments… It's not that he didn't trust the others, but it's more of the fact that his past experience made him wary about his personal possessions. "I don't… I don't know. I really don't want them doing anything with…" he trailed off when an idea began to grow in his mind, "Wait… in the game briefing, didn't it say something about challenging the zombies?"

"Uh… A Thunderdome, you mean?" Jin asked, perplexed as to what had caused the change of his demeanor, "Wait… You're not actually considering doing one of those, are you? People don't usually make it out of those alive… Everyone I know who has chosen to be the victim of a Thunderdome has chosen to do so because they want to be zombies. Don't you want to stay human?"

A smirk fell across Jungkook's face as he finally texted Yoongi back and then replied to the eldest, "I never said I didn't want to remain as a human. I have no intention of giving myself up, and I'm confident that by the end of it, I won't get tagged. I can run, hyung. Have faith in me, okay?"

 **Maknae:** Can we compromise? If you don't touch my clothes, I'll do a Thunderdome.

Yoongi stared at his cellphone after he finally received a reply… This was the last response he had expected from Jungkook. Until now, he had been playing the game rather safely and always stayed at Jin's side as he counted on his experience to help guide him as a beginning player. It was true that he became more and more independent in the game as the week continued, but he definitely didn't see this coming, "Guys… Jungkook texted. He wants us to leave his clothes alone in exchange for a Thunderdome."

"What?!" Rhodon leaned over Yoongi's shoulder to read the message to see for himself, "Is he crazy? Returning home would basically give him the same result! Doing a Thunderdome is actually even more risky! At least there are only five of us instead of the usual 20 zombies that tend to appear when you're a good enough player." he remarked, completely dumbfounded by the choice he was making, "Man… He must really love his clothes."

"Of course he does. I helped pick them out, who wouldn't love them?" Taehyung responded seriously, though he released a small laugh to show that he was only joking on the matter, "If he wants the Thunderdome, let's do it. I kind of want to see what it's like anyway."

"I agree. If it's his decision, then let's just do it. I don't think we can say no to free prey, so to speak." Namjoon pointed out with a grin.

"... Did you really just call Jungkook prey? I think I might have nightmares of you eating his brains now, thank you." Jimin grimaced with a shake of his head.

"Ohhh…. No, that's just gross! Jimin! Why'd you have to bring that image into all of our minds?!" Rhodon complained as he pushed Jimin away from him with disgust.

"Someone's played too many zombie games…" Yoongi muttered with a small smirk as he responded to Jungkook.

 **Mint Yoongi:** Alright. When do you want to do the Thunderdome?

"Are you really doing it? As soon as you tell him the time, you know the news will spread to the other zombies, and you won't be able to back out of it, right?" Jin wanted to make sure that Jungkook knew what he was getting to, but it seemed as though he had his mind made up. With a heavy sigh, he nudged the maknae with his elbow to grab his attention, "Alright… if you're doing this, I'll do it with you. I've actually always wanted to try a Thunderdome anyways."

Jungkook's facial expression lit up, and he seemed to be absolutely excited that Jin would be participating with him, "Seriously?! Are you sure? I mean, I was kind of ready to do this myself, you don't have to give yourself up just for my sake."

"I'm positive. I'll do it. At least we can say we went down fighting, you know?" Jin assured him with a laugh as he watched Jungkook message Yoongi back. He honestly wasn't sure if Jungkook could make it out of the Thunderdome alive, so perhaps with his help, it'd be possible for both of them to defeat all of those zombies…

 **Maknae:** We can do it at 4:30 on alumni field, right after convocation. Jin hyung said he will be doing the Thunderdome with me.

"Hyung said that? Man, I should have played the laundry card a long time ago. We're going to convert both of them into zombies just by leaving Jungkook's laundry alone…" Yoongi remarked, amazed by their luck.

"This is crazy. Jin hyung probably just felt bad for him. Anyway, make the deal. I'll start sharing it to other zombies so we can make sure they're tagged." Taehyung stated as he turned on his phone and began to message a few of his friends. This Thunderdome was on!

The following day, Jungkook was in quite the anxious state… he wasn't feeling as confident about this Thunderdome as he had been the night before, and he was beginning to regret the decision, that is until he reminded himself of why he chose it. Either way, all he had to do was outrun however many zombies showed up to the event. As it neared 4:30pm, Jimin, Hoseok, Yoongi, Namjoon, and Taehyung all awaited the arrival of the two Thunderdome challengers as well as any more zombies that wanted to come to their aid. By the time Jungkook and Jin had arrived, 16 zombies had shown up, including the five household members. Jin and Jungkook were fully equipped with three to four nerf guns, ammo in their athletic shorts' pockets, as well as sock balls they had duct taped to a strap across their chest; Jin had actually lent most of this 'weaponry' to Jungkook… When their watches struck 4:30, all of them agreed to go ahead and start, and finally the game begun.

As soon as four of the zombies began chasing after them, Jin and Jungkook were prepared to fire, aiming at their attackers as they simultaneously ran away from them. They had discussed earlier that the best tactic was to stick together and keep an eye out for one another, and so far that plan was working. The issue they had to work around was the fact that they would run out of ammo sooner or later, so they had to be careful not to use it all at once. The two of them spend several minutes running away from these four and tagging each one while trying to avoid any sneak attacks from the other zombies. Every time another one would come close, Jin would warn Jungkook or vise versa. These zombies were definitely trying to distract them in an attempt to make a surprise attack, but that plan was not working in their favor. Jin was a veteran player, and since he taught Jungkook, neither of them were about to fall for that trap. As the thunderdome continued on, Jin was experiencing fatigue; he wasn't a track runner like Jungkook was, so running around and dodging people for minutes on end was a complete hassle for him. Thankfully the adrenaline in his system was keeping him going, and the zombies were beginning to get worn out as well. At least those who had bothered chasing them…

Yoongi and Namjoon had been standing by watching the other zombies either intimidate or run at Jungkook and Jin, and both of them were coming to the same conclusion, "This isn't working… Simply running at them one by one won't catch them. Jin may be losing steam, but with his skills and Jungkook staying by him like that, we don't have a chance." Yoongi commented to Namjoon.

Taehyung soon joined the two of them, breathing heavily with his hands placed on his hips, his red bandana still tied around his forehead signaling that he had not been stunned, "I really thought we'd be able to just chase them until they got worn out… They're really good at this though." he breathed as he wiped beads of sweat from his face.

"Yeah, this is tough…" Namjoon agreed, noticing that the zombies were beginning to slow down, "Okay… I've got an idea. We need to separate into groups of five and three. We only have eight of us left, and I think we want to definitely tag Jin. If Jin becomes a zombie, Jungkook won't be as much of a threat as a human. So… with our different groups we're going to charge at them in a single file line, head on. What do you guys think?"

"I think that anything is better than what we're doing now. " Taehyung laughed a bit as he finally regained his breath and looked to Yoongi, "We should probably notify the others before more of them get stunned."

With a nod in response, Yoongi began to walk towards other zombies that were standing by unstunned while Namjoon and Taehyung ran to tell their team members. Jungkook and Jin had noticed the three of them speaking to the other zombies as they took a small break with the opportunity at hand. Of course, they were concerned about what would be next, but it was best to take a few moments to catch their breath and collect what bullets they could. However, without any warning the zombies began to charge at them, scattered at first. Jungkook and Jin prepared themselves to take closer aim, but as the zombies came into shooting range, they came together into two different lines with a longer one directed at Jin and another at Jungkook. Both of them were handling their own now, and thankfully were restocked for this attack. It wasn't until the last two zombies in Jin's line, Hoseok and another guy named Austin, were left running at him that Jin's gun malfunctioned and refused to shoot anymore bullets! He quickly reached for one of the sock balls he carried on his person, but as soon as he hit Austin with that ball, Hoseok came jumping over him and tagged Jin as he tackled him.,mnbvcx to the ground. All of them began to cheer victoriously, laughing at Hoseok's attack, but the victory was short lived when Hoseok was hit by one of Jungkook's nerf darts. It was then that they realized he was the last zombie standing, and Jungkook had yet to be tagged…

"This isn't fair! You guys sent five at me, and only three on him! This is favoritism at another level!" Jin protested as he continued to lay on the ground, regaining his breath as he complained.

"We wanted be sure to catch you, hyung. You're kind of the veteran player here. If you didn't want to get tagged, you shouldn't have helped Jungkook." Jimin pointed out as he squatted beside Hoseok and grinned.

"I can't believe you guys would do this to me… Jungkook, why didn't you save me?! How could you allow me to become a zombie like this after all I've done for you?" Jin questioned him as he reached out and lazily slapped the maknae's shin.

"I was fighting off my own zombies; they ran at me a lot slower than yours did!" Jungkook defended himself as he walked back and forth to cool down, "I would have saved you if I could have."

"On the bright side, you can help us catch Jungkook tonight now that you're on our side… Come on, admit it. Part of you wanted to be a zombie so you could hang out with the cool kids on campus." Namjoon chuckled as he reached out his right hand and assisted Jin to his feet.

"Whatever… But you can bet we're going to catch Jungkook." Jin replied with a scowl in the maknae's direction. He couldn't believe that a freshman lasted longer than he did, especially when it was because of him that Jungkook survived. He was definitely going to get payback!

Even though Jin and the other household members were now completely adamant about tagging Jungkook, the zombies failed to catch him during that night's mission. Jungkook avoided them for the remainder of the night and stayed close to the small group of humans he was a part of during the mission. He was anxious without Jin, but with all that the eldest had taught him, he was able to cooperate enough with the team to stay alive. The following day was the last day of HVZ, and naturally the humans were the most tense and paranoid they've been all week. It was becoming harder to catch the humans because they were so scarce, and many of them stuck together to stay alive. As final mission came around only 11 humans were left, leaving them in the minority and at risk of total annihilation. Jungkook was especially feeling the pressure being the only surviving freshman, though others in the group were already congratulating him and spouting excitement because freshmen never make it to final mission. The problem was that he knew he basically had a bounty set on him by his housemates. Jin in particular seemed to be seeking revenge…

The mission began with simple tasks of protecting the scientist of the game and ensuring the transport of items, but as the night went on, the tasks became more daunting… A short time limit of half an hour was placed upon them to seek a small, silver cylinder with the HVZ symbol on it, which represented a nuclear reactor of sorts… Fifteen minutes into their mission, they still had no clue as to where this object could be found. Thus far they had had only a few zombie hordes attack throughout the night, but with this time limit, they didn't have much time to consider any possible attacks by zombies. The humans had to constantly be on the move… And that was their downfall. Their time limit made them anxious and caused them to overlook the most simple kind of ambush…

As the group of humans jogged around the corner of the art building, zombies were ready to attack from the shadows. The humans did their best to shoot from all directions, turning their backs to one another as the zombies relentlessly ran at them. It was the sixty zombies against eleven humans, and it was now that the humans realized that the zombies had not been seen for nearly 45 minutes now because they had all gathered for this single attack and had been waiting them out. The main group of zombies attacked from the front, but there were also zombies hiding out in surrounding areas to run at the humans from other sides. The humans had absolutely no chance, but they still went down fighting. Some of them lived until their bullets ran out while others had just been overtaken by the masses. Jungkook was both surprised and terrified by the zombie horde's attack, and though he was doing his best to help his surviving teammates, he had become so panicked about the attack that he was fumbling to switch his guns and keep fighting. Because of this, the zombies were quick to overtake him, and he and one of his other teammates fell to the ground from the sheer force of all of the attacking zombies. The two of them tried to duck as they attempted to avoid being trampled, but because of the darkness, there were individuals accidentally tripping over them. It wasn't until all of the humans had been tagged that the stampede ended, and the group settled into cheers and laughter.

"I swear if he wasn't in this group, I'm going to be so mad. Where is the maknae? Jungkook!" Jin exclaimed as he searched in the crowd for the youngest of the household.

"How could he not be here? I'm pretty sure this was the only group of humans…" Jimin replied as he pushed through the crowd to find their friend.

"I'm just upset that we weren't the ones to catch him. I'm kind of bummed out that I got stunned before finding the kid…" Yoongi muttered as he stood in place, looking left and right. He was unfortunately too short to simply stand there if he was hoping to find him…

"Ya'll are going the wrong way." Namjoon informed them in a raised voice to catch their attention, "He's over there sitting on the brick wall in front of the art building." he pointed to their left. The brick wall was short enough for an individual to sit on without much effort at all.

Taehyung and Hoseok were already headed in that direction, eager to meet up with their friend and tease him about all that had happened. As soon as the two of them were seen approaching him, Jungkook groaned and lie down on the brick with his knees up, pretending to be dead as his left arm hung over the wall. "Jungkookie, we got you good, didn't we? I know the others didn't see you, but I wish they could have seen the look on your face. You looked horrified! I thought you were going to freeze up honestly." Taehyung stated as he shook his friend's shoulder.

"Do you see how many zombies there are? Who wouldn't panic at a sight like that?" Jungkook replied quietly, his eyes remaining closed and a small smile creeping onto his lips. He was so out of energy, "Honestly, I'm glad it's over… I'm ready to sleep and eat without worrying zombies camping outside of the building I'm in…" he laughed a little.

"Oh, are you tired? You poor thing… Would you like me to carry you back home?" Jin asked sarcastically as he joined the conversation with Yoongi, Namjoon, and Jimin behind him, "You could have eaten and slept well if you had just become a zombie yesterday." he teased.

"And let you guys show me up? No way… I was going for that golden medal." Jungkook grinned as he finally sat up and yawned.

"Sorry, we don't give out golden medals for things like this… You don't even get participation awards in this game." Yoongi replied lazily. He was ready for sleep as well…

"No, but I tell you one thing… we may not have a golden medal, but we've definitely got ourselves a golden maknae. You've got some skills, Jungkook." Namjoon grinned as he reached out and ruffled Jungkook's hair. This was the first instance he'd heard of in which a freshman was able to survive until final mission...


	11. Chapter 10: Betrayal

**Chapter 10: Betrayal**

"I could really use some chocolate right about now… I haven't had it in a while." Jungkook muttered as he stared up at the ceiling blankly. He was lying on his back on the couch, completely exhausted from the day's classes and responsibilities. He was just thankful it was Friday…

"Jungkook… you're not allowed to have chocolate. You athletes are supposed to have some kind of strict diet, aren't you?" Jimin asked him from his spot in front of Jungkook, with his back propped up against the couch, "I mean… we've all been doing our best to eat healthier since we started conditioning for the dancing and all, but you and Jin hyung are in track and field… You guys kind of have to keep it together with your diet, right?" he was never an athlete, so he wasn't positive.

"Not many people actually stick to their recommended diets, Jimin. At least not my teammates. Most of us did start eating more vegetables, but we didn't take anything out of our diets. We just kind of laugh it off." Hoseok remarked about the baseball team from the adjacent section of the couch.

"Yeah, besides, it's not like Jungkook eats a lot of sweets anyways. A little chocolate never hurt anyone." Taehyung stated as he considered the idea. He was seated beside Jimin with his head leaned back on the couch cushion next to Jungkook's upper torso, "Now that I think about it, chocolate really does sound good right now…"

"We don't have any; I'm pretty sure Namjoon hyung had the last of it a couple of weeks ago. I saw him eating a hershey bar with one hand and holding up a book with the other." Hoseok laughed.

"Did he really..?" Jungkook pouted as he ruffled his hair and tried to think of what else could satisfy his sweet tooth and caffeine needs. It was then an idea clicked in his mind, and he was quick to sit up and look to the others eagerly, "Wait, doesn't Yoongi hyung have snacks hidden in his room? I mean, I assume they're in there. I've seen him buy some, but I've never seen where he puts them."

"You're seriously considering looking for Yoongi hyung's stash? He'll crush you like the cookie crumble you are, maknae." Hoseok joked as he stood from his seat and gave a gentle pat to his shoulder, "But if you're serious, I'm game."

"I am NOT a cookie crumble. And he won't crush me; he'll just be a little upset… But I can always pay him back. I just don't want to drive to the store to get it…" Jungkook replied defensively.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… First of all, you don't drive. Hoseok hyung and I drive. Second of all, are both of you nuts? Yoongi hyung will expect more than the exact amount owed. He'd want double." Taehyung pointed out as he and Jimin stood as well, "But, if you're really that desperate… who's to say that strawberries and whipped cream won't go well with some of that chocolate? I mean… he gets the expensive stuff."

Jimin seemed to be uncertain as to whether or not this deed should be done, but the more he thought about it, the more fun it sounded! He thoroughly enjoyed joking around and messing with Yoongi, so his mind was quickly changed, "Alright, let's find his stash before we run out of time." he grinned as he gestured for them to follow him to the third door on the right, just across from the master bedroom.

As soon as the door swung into the bedroom, the first thing the group was able to lay their eyes on was Yoongi's desk to their left. The entire desk platform was covered with spiral notebooks, a variety of papers, a pair of wireless Beats headphones, a wooden pencil box, a small desk lamp, and three half-filled water bottles. Just above the desk pinned to the wall was the free Berea calendar every student received for the school year. Past the desk along the same wall was the nightstand with Yoongi's slick black alarm clock placed on top. The head of Yoongi's bed sat beside the stand, with the length of the bed stretched against the adjacent wall. Yoongi's black blanket and white sheets were strewn across the bed, completely unmade, which stood out in comparison to Jin's royal blue, Mario themed blanket and sheets that were neatly laying upon his bed. Yoongi's dresser and Jin's night stand separated the two beds, and Jin's bed was set beside his night stand in a similar fashion to Yoongi's bed and night stand. Jin's dresser sat at the foot of his bed, and his neatly organized desk sat directly beside it. Their shared wardrobe sat on the right wall as they walked in, with a bookshelf of Jin's nerdy collectables directly beside it on his side of the room. The blonde silk carpet was the same in every bedroom, but as soon as the carpet reached the door, it met with the Santos Mahogany hardwood floor.

"Wow, Yoongi hyung's side is a mess compared to Jin hyung's… What's weird is that the floor is completely spotless; it's just his desk and bed that need to be tidied up." Jimin observed as he bent down to look under the bed, "I don't see anything under here, so maybe he's hiding his stash in his wardrobe or something. Check the drawers of his desk."

Taehyung carefully opened each drawer of Yoongi's desk, finding more utensils, flash drives, tape, glue, scissors, and basically any other necessary school supply Yoongi found useful. The bigger, bottom drawers on either side of the desk held empty spiral notebooks, two books, and folders while the smaller ones held all of the supplies. "I don't see anything in here…" he pouted as he left the desk and watched as Hoseok and Jungkook checked the wardrobe.

"Whoa… it's actually clean in here." Hoseok commented as his brown eyes stared at the hung-up clothes that were actually very well organized and, on Yoongi's side, even sorted by color. "He may be a mess at his desk, but he's the exact opposite with his clothes… I've never seen anyone this organized with clothes." He was distracted by how interesting Yoongi's side of the room was… If someone was to compare Yoongi's side of the closet with his desk and look at nothing else, that individual would not ever guess that it was the same person using the two spaces.

"It's definitely weird… but hey, we need to keep looking or else we're going to lose time!" Jungkook urged Hoseok to continue the search; he didn't want to be caught in the act of stealing from the one and only Yoongi!

The group searched and searched the room for a good 10 minutes or so, and they were becoming discouraged… If they continued on like this, their time would be wasted and the three oldest would be home in no time! "Geez, why does this have to be so hard… Are we sure he even has these sweets? He barely eats candy to begin with…" Hoseok began to doubt the existence of Yoongi's stash.

"If I was Yoongi hyung, what would I do in my room..?" Jimin groaned as he pulled Yoongi's black, leather rolling chair out from his desk, sat in it, and then lay his head in his arms upon the desk's surface.

"...That's it! Yoongi is always falling asleep no matter what he's doing, right? So if he's always staying up late working on lyrics or homework, he's got to keep his snacks nearby in case he needs, you know… emergency fuel or whatever." Jungkook pointed out as Jimin turned to look at him curiously, "Well, obviously it means he's got to have his sweets at this desk. Hyung, are you sure you looked through the drawers thoroughly?" he turned his attention to Taehyung.

"I thought I did, but we can look again…" Taehyung replied as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He hoped he didn't overlook something, but as far as he knew, everything in those drawers was completely school-related.

Jimin and Jungkook began to search the drawers once more, hoping that with two more sets of eyes, the goods would at last be found. As they came upon the bottom left drawer where the two books and spiral notebooks were found. Jimin and Jungkook decided to check underneath the books to see if they had missed anything there. "Wait a minute… something's off. These books aren't… books." Jimin informed them as he poked Jungkook's shoulder to tear his attention away from the drawer, "Look, they're wooden, and the binding comes out." He carefully pulled at the binding of the accurately painted boxes to reveal a a ziploc bag full of vanilla wafers in one box and a full box of Ferrero Rocher (9 pieces) and a package of Lindor dark chocolate truffles in the other box.

"Whoa… He really doesn't eat cheap sweets. I mean, the vanilla wafers aren't such a big deal, but they could go really well with those strawberries. Do we really want to open a new package of Ferrero Rocher though? It's way more noticeable than taking a few of the Lindor chocolates…" Hoseok scratched the back of his head as he tried to imagine how upset Yoongi might be if the most expensive of the chocolates was touched.

"Yeah, maybe you're right… Let's leave the Ferrero Rocher alone. Show some appreciation for our dedicated lyric writer." Taehyung agreed as he picked out three of the Lindor chocolates for the others, "How can he like dark chocolate? It's way too bitter for my liking…"

"Yoongi hyung is a little sophisticated." Jimin laughed a little as he picked out eight vanilla wafers and handed them to Jungkook before returning all of the sweets to their proper place and making sure that everything was placed back in their original spots.

The four of them left the room and made a beeline for the kitchen, rushing to make their bowl of sweets before their hyungs arrived. Hoseok lay out four bowls, Jungkook placed two vanilla wafers in each and then added a thin layer of whipped cream on top, and Taehyung and Jimin sliced an entire container of strawberries to be placed on top of the whipped cream layer. As soon as the strawberries were portioned out into each bowl, one final layer of whipped cream was added and a Lindor chocolate truffle was added to all but one, and at last their desserts were complete! As soon as they cleaned up after themselves, they began to eat.

"I still say that the vanilla wafers would have made a good crust if we would have had time to make it, but this is still really good… I can't remember the last time I had something this sweet." Jungkook remarked with a smile as he stabbed his fork into another couple of strawberries and took another bite.

"Enjoy it while you can; we're all going to be murdered when Yoongi hyung finds out." Hoseok laughed with the others. The four of them finished in no time, and as soon as their sweets were gone, they went on to clean their dishes to remove any evidence of their terrible deed. Not even two minutes later, they could see Yoongi and some girl walking into their driveway, and they all made a run for the living room to jump on the couch and act as normal as possible.

"Just to make things clear, I spoke with Taehy- Aiden, sorry- about you, and he told me that you had first seen me playing piano or doing something in one of the practice rooms in the music building… I wanted to apologize to you because I've been avoiding you without trying to understand what was really going on… You and I don't talk unless you say something, and usually it's about music right? So, you're not really… interested in me, are you? I mean, it's just my music, right?" Yoongi asked hopefully as his feet finally made contact with their house's driveway.

The slim, athletically dressed African American girl, whose height was nearing 5'5", frowned in response to Yoongi's question, feeling conflicted by whether or not he was correct. She fiddled with her straightened black hair as she thought about it until she finally replied, "Yeah, I suppose you're right… Honestly, I've always been really into music since I was a kid, and I love expanding my music genre. In Oregon, we don't hear the kind of music I've heard you play… I guess every time I had the opportunity I just wanted to hear more of your music. I am sorry for causing you all of this trouble. I know you were getting annoyed with me always trying to see you, but I'm just really passionate about music. I always want to hear more…" she admitted sheepishly.

Yoongi released a sigh of relief as she finished speaking and reached for the door handle to open the door, "Good. Because the reason I'm bringing you here is to have someone who appreciates music listen to something we just finished last night." he informed her as he allowed her in and then shut the door behind her. Honestly he was glad she didn't actually like him… He wasn't interested in any sort of relationship, and it had been quite annoying for him until Taehyung pointed out that she was really into his music. "Hey guys, Renee is here to listen to the song, so if any of you haven't met her before, go ahead and introduce yourselves." he said nonchalantly as he removed his shoes at the door and gestured for her to wait while he walked to his room to place his backpack next to his desk. He was quick to grab his laptop out of his bag and then carried it with him out of the room to join the others.

The first of the boys to stand and introduce himself to Renee was Hoseok, who was all too eager to be meeting someone new, "Hey, your name's Renee Washington, right? I'm Jung Hoseok, it's nice to meet you." he smiled cheerfully as he shook her hand. Yoongi had told them she would be visiting, and they were all aware of the situation at hand.

"Hoseok hyung, your English name…" Jimin reminded him as he stood and joined Hoseok at his side, "Sorry, we've all kind of gotten used to our Korean names here." he apologized for him.

"Right, sorry about that. My name is actually Rhodon Hope." Hoseok let out an embarrassed laugh. He was so used to being addressed by his Korean name in this house that it didn't occur to him that she needed his English name instead.

"And I'm Andy Cimabue. Thanks for coming by to listen to our music." Jimin offered a handshake to her. "I guess you already know Aiden, so then you just need to meet Damien, right?" he asked as he looked back to the couch only to find the maknae had disappeared, "Uh… he's… Yeah, he's a little shy with girls, so you might not see him." he explained, though his attention was pulled towards the door when Jin and Namjoon walked in.

"I see Renee's already here. Did you and Yoongi just get here? I hope we didn't make you wait too long…" Jin asked as he removed his shoes at the door and watched as Yoongi came down the hallway with his computer, "I'll take that as a yes…"

Renee was a little confused as to what was going on with this whole name thing, and as soon as Jin addressed Evan as Yoongi, she decided to finally question what was going on, "Wait, so you all have Korean names? Why? I mean, I understand that Jin is from South Korea, but did you guys just think it would be cool or something?" She had Jin in one of her classes, so she was familiar with him, but she was completely clueless with the names.

"No, it's actually for our Korean class. We have to use these names in class, and we decided to use them with each other to help practice." Taehyung replied as he joined the group and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Hoseok and Jimin were both having a difficult time looking Yoongi in the eye without feeling slightly guilty about stealing from his stash, but Taehyung himself was an actor and could easily disguise his guilt.

"Yeah, anyway, I'll go ahead and show this to you now that everyone is here. We had agreed to show it to you once we were all together." Yoongi said as he maneuvered around the back of the couch to sit down and placed his laptop on the table in front of him, "Someone get Jungkook out here; I know I saw him when I walked in…"

"I'll get him." Jin volunteered as he walked to the first room on the right in the hallway. As soon as he opened the door, his eyes fell upon Jungkook, who was laying on his bed with his sketchbook resting on his right thigh, "Hey, we're showing Renee the song, so Yoongi wanted all of us out there. It's the first time someone will hear us, so it's kind of a big deal… You can just sit the farthest away from her if you'd like. As soon as this is done, I think we're going to head out to the Halloween party they're holding at the Alumni building." he informed him as he beckoned him with his right hand to leave the room with him.

A sigh escaped Jungkook's mouth as he set his sketchbook aside and joined Jin at the door with his hands stuffed in his sweatpants' pockets, a slight frown forming on his lips, "Aren't you nervous that he's showing some stranger a song sung by amateurs..? It'll probably be weird enough for her to hear since it's in Korean…" He obviously wasn't entirely on board with the idea of sharing the music…

Jin smiled and placed a hand on his head to ruffle his hair, "Don't worry about it. She's listened to some Korean music thanks to me and Taehyung. We're friends with her, you know. Besides, we may be amateurs, but everyone has to start somewhere. And we're off to a really good start." he assured him just before leaving the room with him following behind.

The two of them joined the others on the couch with Yoongi in the middle of the group as he searched his computer for the correct file. "Okay, so I guess you should know this is just the first song we've produced together, and none of us are exactly professionals. Just criticize honestly." he asked of her as his gaze met with each of his housemates before he finally pressed play on the track labeled "No More Dream" that he and the others had created with his Ableton Live recording software.

Renee nodded in response to Yoongi and leaned forward towards the computer, obviously taking this entire situation very seriously. She was curious, slightly concerned, and yet thrilled that she was the first one to be hearing this song outside of their group. She was completely aware that this song could be a complete flop, but she highly doubted that possibility because she had already heard a portion of Yoongi's talent. With the volume turned all the way up on his computer, she was able to hear every musical layer clearly enough for her to critique. While some of the members would usually be dancing the parts they knew to the music for practice, but this time all of them were far too nervous or too concentrated on the music.

As the song came to an end, Renee sat up properly with her back against the couch as she thought about what she had just heard and what to say. Her facial expression was completely serious, which made all of them even more anxious than before… It honestly seemed to them as though she didn't like it. Wasn't her reaction supposed to be more… bubbly or something? After a few seconds, she finally opened her mouth to speak, "Wow…" She seemed to be still fumbling for her words, "Um… Yeah, just… Wow. This is you guys? I don't even- How did you- What?! I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I was expecting piano or something because I've heard Evan play so much, but this is like, the complete opposite! You guys are rapping! And you rap so… so… I dunno, so weirdly! I mean that in a good way! I've never heard rap like this! And the rhythm is so neat! Honestly, I'm still kind of in shock that you guys are rapping in Korean; it's sounds impossible…" She simply had no idea how to express everything she wanted to say. Her words and her hand gestures put together were amusing to a couple of them, though most of them were shocked by what she had to say.

"Okay, okay, okay, before we get ahead of ourselves and start getting big heads, do you have any criticism?" Namjoon asked with a grin. He was excited to be sharing some of their music at last, and all he wanted to hear was her opinion. He wanted the music to be the best it could be, and the first step was to always take constructive criticism.

"Criticism? Yeah, let me think, there was something… Oh, that's right. Can you skip back a bit?" Renee asked Yoongi, who rewound the song to the beginning, pressed play again, and then skipped until they found what she was searching for, "Okay, right there. Who starts at about 40 seconds or so into it and continues until a minute has passed?"

"Oh, that's Jungkook." Yoongi replied almost immediately as he pointed to the individual sitting farthest away, to which Jungkook sat up nervously. Since he was the one playing around with the music most of the time, he knew everyone's part and timing by heart.

"Jungkook?" Renee made eye contact with the rather embarrassed-looking maknae, "Look, your voice is nice, and I think your rapping is fine. The thing is, it's not as confident as some of the others, and you're being drowned out a little bit. Whenever you guys record this next, I think you should try pushing yourself more to be heard loud and clear. I find that it helps to find a quiet space for yourself where you can practice projecting your voice and becoming confident. And try being a little bit more aggressive if possible." she suggested to him before returning to Yoongi and asking him to skip a little more, "And, stop. Right there. I think you guys are all blending very nicely, especially towards the end, but as soon as you finish this break part and continue with a bigger, louder chorus, I think you are all overpowering whoever is singing the higher note in the background. We've heard the chorus before, but that's the first time you add him into the picture in that way, so you want to bring that out a little. Other than those things, I really don't think there's much criticism to give. You guys did really well, and I really liked it."

All of them exchanged glances of excitement with one another thanks to her compliments, and even in thanks to her criticism. They were all very appreciative of her opinion… "Thank you for listening and for giving us your honest thoughts. I think until now, many of us have been questioning our abilities too much, and I believe your comments have helped ease their minds." Jin commented first as he offered a slight bow of thanks from his seat on the couch. As soon as he finished, the others began to chime in with 'thank you's as well before they all stood to their feet.

"And uh, also, we'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this, you know? We're performing this for our Korean class at the end of the semester, and we'd rather not have any news about us doing this for our project spreading across campus." Yoongi asked of her as they all walked her to the door.

"No problem, really. I promise, I won't say a word. But hey, if you guys want me to listen to anything else, don't hesitate to ask, because seriously… You guys have something here." Renee smiled before opening the door and leaving with a wave.

As soon as the door was shut, the boys immediately began to cheer triumphantly as they jumped up and down, hugged each other, and offered pats on the back for celebration. They were relieved, happy, and in awe of what had just happened. Someone listened to their music! Someone LIKED their music! They were absolutely ecstatic!

"We're going to be musicians! Actual musicians!" Jimin exclaimed as he jumped onto Taehyung's back, forcing him to carry him for a piggy-back ride as he cheered.

Taehyung was startled by Jimin at first, but as soon as he felt secure enough to be holding him, he was able to laugh it off as well, "I can't wait until the performance now! Just watching her listen to our music made me excited; imagine how it would be on stage. I bet it's even better than performing in a play." He always loved being in front of an audience…

"Alright, alright, calm down guys. We're not musicians yet; we've only made one song!"

Yoongi commented as he shook his head with a grin.

"But we can make more, right guys?" Hoseok asked excitedly, now that he had finally calmed down enough to speak. "If our performance goes well, we can actually do something with this, can't we? I know we all have our own college degrees to chase after, but I don't think it'd hurt to give this a shot."

Jin rested his elbow on Hoseok's left shoulder as he chuckled and looked to the others, "Well, I guess that depends on all of you. If we can actually hit this off… this will be bigger than any dream I could have imagined. A business degree is just something I thought I should settle for, but I actually have enjoyed doing this. Dancing and all."

"I'm with Jin on this. My parents won't like it much, but rapping runs in my veins. No way am I passing an opportunity like this up." Namjoon agreed.

"Either way, I'm destined to be on stage. Count me in." Taehyung laughed as he allowed Jimin to get down and stretched.

"There's no question about whether or not I want to do this. I've been wanting to dance and sing since I was a kid. I just… I dunno, I'd rather do it with my parents' blessing…" Jimin admitted with a small frown. He wasn't sure he'd ever get that, but he did hope that his parents would change their minds.

Jungkook merely shrugged with uncertainty in response. He enjoyed singing and dancing, but he didn't think it would do any good to pursue such a career. Especially with his background, he felt he needed to enter a career of high status where riches were always in reach. Musicians seem to lead truly hard lives, and he knew that career wouldn't be approved for him either.

"It's not like we have to decide on this now, but you guys can definitely bet that this is what I want to do with my life. I've never wanted anything more than to produce music." Yoongi smiled from ear to ear, "And I'm not going to lie… I wouldn't want to start this career with anyone else."

"... Okay, you're scaring me. Where's Yoongi hyung and what have you done with him?" Hoseok squinted at him skeptically before laughing it off with the rest of the group.

"Oh, shut up. Come on, let's get ready for this Halloween thing." Yoongi pushed Hoseok jokingly as he already began his walk towards the hallway.

As soon as Yoongi separated from the group, the rest of the housemates followed after him to prepare for Hallowpalooza, Berea's Halloween party. All of them took their time getting ready and then relaxed for another hour before they were to leave for the party. Once it was time for them to leave the house, they all met in the living room to make sure they had everything they needed, "Does everyone have everything?" Jin asked as he watched them all file into living room towards the door. He was pleased to see that so far all of them were at least wearing long-sleeved shirts due to the chilly weather outside, though some of them were unfortunately wearing shorts... Jin himself was wearing an old, white cowboy hat, a white and red checkered button-up shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of brown cowboy boots. His identity for the night: pre-transformation Jimin.

"Yeah, hold up, I've gotta get my props." Hoseok replied as he passed by Jin to get to the kitchen. His dark brown hair was slicked back, his eyes were covered by sunglasses, he sported a dark grey Supreme pullover hoodie, light blue shorts, and a pair of black and white low-rise converse. After a few minutes, he arrived at Jin's side once more, this time with several accessories covering his upper torso. Everything was safety pinned across a black sash he wore across his torso: two broken and taped together pencils, a plastic, empty bottle of blackberry jam that was cut to look like it was broken, a cardboard cutout with a refrigerator drawn on it, and at the very bottom of the sash, Namjoon's broken suitcase handle was tied to the sash by a string. Hoseok also wore several bandaids all over him, with one placed on his left cheek, a few on his hoodie's sleeves, and some scattered on his legs, "Sup." he offered a 'what's up' nod, "Ya'll ready to break things?" he asked seriously before bursting out into laughter with the others once they saw him.

"I can't believe you're wearing all of that. Just wait until Namjoon hyung sees you!" Jimin mused, cackling due to Hoseok's Namjoon impersonation. His outfit would probably be the best! Jimin himself wore a dark blue bandana on his head with it tied in the front, a black long-sleeved shirt with a white, "I'd rather be sleeping" t-shirt over it, and an "I love sleep" button attached to his shirt on the upper left of his upper torso. His pants were ripped, black skinny jeans and he wore simple black tennis shoes. To add to his costume, he had a pair of black headphones around his neck, and he also wore white body make-up painted on every visible part of his body. His 'character' for the night was none other than Yoongi, and he was extremely excited for this opportunity.

"He already sees you, and trust me, he's offended…" Namjoon commented as he joined their company and looked Hoseok over with a shake of his head, "I do not look like that, and to wear those things as though I've broken all of them is rude. Where's the respect here?" He was dressed as Taehyung, sporting Pokemon hat, a white, long-sleeved undershirt, a white t-shirt with the wink emoji that sticks its tongue out, stressed blue jeans, and a pair of white tennis shoes.

"Why you always lyin' Namjoon hyung?" Taehyung questioned with a grin, using a meme to joke around with him. Of all outfits, Taehyung's was probably the most tacky… Upon his head he wore a hand-made paper replica of Peach's crown, and underneath a pink apron with the word "Mom" across its front, he wore a white, long-sleeved undershirt, a black and white Legend of Zelda triforce t-shirt, and black athletic shorts, borrowed from Jin. Up to his knees were red and white Mario mushroom socks and for his shoes, he wore white athletic shoes, also borrowed from Jin. He had no shame in wearing such an outfit just to ensure the entire group knew who he was. He even had a mirror and a wooden spoon in the pockets of his apron. "Hey, this means everyone has to call me hyung now, right?"

"No. We are not going that far. Especially when you're making fun of me enough. I mean, look at you! I don't dress like that!" Jin complained as he nearly laughed at the sight of him. Just when he thought Taehyung's outfit was obnoxious, his eyes fell upon Jungkook as he left his room and joined them as well.

Jungkook's upper body was kind of dressed normally… He wore a black beanie, a black turtleneck undershirt, and a halloween sweater with white, dancing skeletons all over it. The worst part of his outfit and what stood out most were the bright yellow skinny jeans that were covered at the bottom by his black, lace-up boots. He also happened to be carrying his backpack over his shoulders so he could carry a few of his belongings with him.

As Jin opened his mouth to say something, Yoongi beat him to the chase as he tapped Jungkook on the shoulder from behind, "Nice pants, maknae. But hey, can I borrow your backpack. It's light, right?" he asked hopefully as the youngest hesitantly allowed him to take his backpack.

"Yeah, it's pretty light. Why..?" Jungkook trailed off when he realized that his question would have been a stupid one. Yoongi was acting as him for the night, so of course he would want his backpack! "Seriously, you want my backpack for your costume? I'm not nearly as protective of it as I used to be." he chuckled as he looked Yoongi over.

Yoongi's was the simplest outfit of them all. He wore a loose plain white t-shirt and a black zip-up jacket, black sweatpants, and black Nike running shoes. Obviously, he didn't care to put anymore effort into it, and honestly, no more effort was needed. It was pretty clear to the others who he was dressed up as. "You may not keep it with you as often as you used to, but who said we had to dress up as who you guys are now? I mean, look at Jin hyung. He's full-on cowboy Andy." he commented lazily as he pulled the backpack over his shoulders and followed the others out the door.

"I can't believe you guys are leaving this house without wearing the proper clothing. Hoseok, shame on you for wearing shorts. And you guys with all your holes in your pants, you should sew those shut before you catch a cold." Taehyung scolded them all, gesturing at them with a wooden cooking spoon he had brought along.

"Hey, didn't we just say that we keep our titles? Jin hyung, that's what you said right?" Hoseok looked to Jin to ensure he hadn't just imagined things.

"Taehyung, Hoseok's right; we are keeping our titles." Jin informed him with a roll of his eyes and a grin. He was actually starting to believe that this entire costume idea was going to be quite entertaining; he wasn't sure he was going to be able to handle all of this without laughing himself to death, "Besides, you're scolding the others when you yourself are wearing shorts."

"I am above the rules. I can wear whatever I want because I am the most hyung. Besides, why would I want to hide such beautiful legs from the world?" Taehyung said dramatically as he even posed.

The others broke out into laughter and stopped in their tracks once Jin paused the walk to cover his embarrassed, reddened face. He was laughing, but he had no clue what to say in return. It was a good thing Jimin often did exactly the same thing he was doing now when he was embarrassed…

"Oh, we're stopping? Good, 'cause I'm tiiiired~." Jimin complained dramatically as he lay himself down on his back, sprawled out on the sidewalk.

"What do you mean you're tired, we just left the driveway!" Namjoon pointed out as he gently kicked Jimin's arm, knowing fully well that he was simply trying to act out Yoongi, "Come on, get up, we've got a party to go to."

"Hey, you know what they say, don't you? An object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon. Er… something like that." Hoseok stated in his best attempt at Namjoon's voice as he gestured for him to grab Jimin's arms, "Ya'll gotta help me pick him up."

Namjoon shook his head and held his tongue so that he didn't try to defend himself against Hoseok's impression of him, and just as he was about to assist him in picking Jimin up, he came up with a better idea, "I don't know if I can, I'm not exactly in the best of shape… But hey, Jungkook and Jimin workout together; they could pick him up without a problem. Why don't we let them do it?" he gently pushed Yoongi towards Jimin and patted his shoulder with a grin.

Yoongi lowered his gaze to Jimin, scanning this impersonator of himself with disgust before stepping over him to continue walking, "Speaking as myself, that paint is obnoxious; I'm not THAT white. Speaking as Jungkook, well… I think he can pick himself up."

"Well… now I'm just insulted…" Jimin pouted as he got up by himself and followed after him with the group trailing behind and laughing. It took only five minutes or so for them to reach the Alumni building where the party was being held and all of them were eager to get into the food line to grab themselves a bite to eat.

Yoongi was in the back of the line with Jungkook right in front of him, and as soon as a group of three girls added onto the line behind him, he couldn't help but grin as an idea popped into his head. He put on a nervous expression and carefully pushed past Jungkook, Namjoon, and Jimin until he finally inserted himself into the line three spots ahead of where he was.

"Hey, you can't cut me, I need my food. I'll fall asleep on you if you don't move." Jimin threatened him, making fun of Yoongi as he did so.

Namjoon laughed when he overheard their conversation, "Yoongi, if you were a Pokemon, you would definitely be Snorlax. I'm just saying." He shook his head and chuckled at the thought, that is until he noticed Jungkook was standing a little closer to him than usual. When turned his head to check on him, he found Jungkook standing directly behind him with a brown paper bag over his head that had a smiley face drawn on it. He couldn't help breaking out into laughter over this and grabbed the others' attention so they could witness what he was seeing. At least Jungkook was TRYING to be Hoseok even when all of him was wanting to get away from the girls Yoongi intentionally put behind him. "Go ahead and stand in front of me, Jungkook. I'll take your place." he cackled.

The housemates all chattered amongst themselves while the line moved along, and as they finally reached the food, all of them grabbed different items compared to what they would normally get. Each housemate filled their plate(s) with the same amount of food and same type of food the person they were dressed as would normally get, and then when they sat down at a table in Baird Lounge, they tried to act out the eating habits of that person. Taehyung made obnoxious noises when he bit into foods he loved and made sure to stuff his mouth as full as possible each time he needed to. Namjoon took his time eating, savoring each bite even when he had a lot of food to eat. Yoongi ate the meat off his plate, but found he didn't quite care for the vegetables he had and really wanted more food than he got while Jungkook was the complete opposite and couldn't finish all of the food he had. All of them were sort of failing at mimicking each other because they were so different…

"Yoongi, did you have enough to eat?" Jin questioned him, knowing that Jungkook's appetite was significantly smaller than Yoongi's.

Yoongi cleared his throat, pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and then texted a reply to answer Jin's question.

 _ **Min Yoongi:**_ _No, this kid eats like a squirrel. I'm going back for seconds._

Jin grinned and rolled his eyes at Yoongi's response while Jungkook began to defend himself, "Hey, I never texted you guys while at the table! I only did it when you guys weren't close enough to talk to!" he laughed.

"Maybe you didn't do it at the table at the house, but you've done it when strangers are around." Hoseok pointing out with a chuckle. "Yoongi hyung is being so accurate it's sad." He then turned to Jin and nudged him, "But hey, you're eating very slow and politely today without making anyone fear for your life. I think you're a very beautiful eater," he said dramatically to which all of them nearly choked on their food as they burst out into even more laughter.

"What? You're complimenting me? I-I can't take it. It's not true! I'm too shy for this!" Jin covered his face and looked away as he acted out Jimin, who had nearly fallen over Taehyung he was laughing so hard. Jimin was actually embarrassed because Jin was pretending to act as him being embarrassed!

"Hey, Jimin, do you need to buy some cover-up or something to hide your blushing? Here, it's on me." Namjoon said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick wad of Monopoly money, removed $20 from it and handed it to Jimin. Again, the group couldn't hold in their laughter. "Hey, Jungkook, you need more running shoes? Take this." he gave him a $100 bill. "Anyone else need anything? Because I totally have the money for it. You don't have to worry about a thing, trust me… But am I rich? No, no I'm not. I just want to help."

"That's not fair! I really am trying to help when I buy you guys things. And I never denied being rich. Though, I think the term is more well-off…" Taehyung denied Namjoon's impression of him.

All of a sudden, Hoseok let out a gasp and raised his hand to reveal a broken plastic fork, which he had broken purposely to imitate Namjoon, "Man… I broke another one. Rest in peace Francis… I'll put you in my collection." he faked a sniffle as he tried to attach it to his sash of broken items. Namjoon simply facepalmed and allowed the others to make fun of him even further…

The group continued to tease each other throughout their meal and even Jungkook and Jin performed short dances they thought resembled both Jimin and Hoseok. While Jin's dancing wasn't as good as Jimin's because dancing wasn't his forte, Jungkook purposely danced terribly just to make fun of Hoseok. When they were through with messing around at the table, the group made their way into the video game room where Taehyung volunteered to play in a Smashbros match in place of Jin, who normally went out of his way to play. He was doing rather well at first, but when he started losing, he began to distract the other players by standing up and blocking their view while he continued hitting buttons or by reaching over and messing with their controllers, "I'm too perfect to lose!" he exclaimed as he returned to his seat when they started getting aggravated with him, "I'm more handsome than all of you combined, therefore I should gain this victory automatically!" he declared. Unfortunately, his Jin powers weren't quite working, and he soon lost the match… Jin didn't even want to be seen in his company after that. He apparently disagreed with Taehyung's impersonation as well, even though most of the group agreed that at the house, he occasionally did do exactly what Taehyung showed.

It wasn't long before two hours had passed since their arrival, and while most of the housemates weren't particularly eager to leave, Jungkook seemed to be all too ready to do so. He had already changed into his normal street clothing and placed his outfit in the backpack Yoongi was carrying, and once he received a text from his friend, he was eager to leave their company it seemed, "Sorry guys, but I've got to get going. I promised a friend that I would hang out tonight after I spent some time with all of you, so I'll see you guys later!" Jungkook waved to the group as he hurried out the doors of the alumni building to hop into the back of a black Dodge Stratus. The car soon pulled away before any of the housemates could question the situation any further, so all of them were left slightly puzzled at most.

"A friend? I wonder who he was referring to…" Jin mused aloud as he stuffed his hands in his pockets with a frown. It was strange, but he didn't quite like the fact that Jungkook had left without giving them a little more information. Lately he had been spending a small portion of his time with other individuals outside of the household, which was good for him, but that didn't change how he felt at this moment… Taehyung was correct about one thing: he truly did act like a mother. He couldn't help but feel concerned…

Yoongi breathed a deep sigh as he watched the car pull off with their youngest and ruffled his hair as he came upon a quick answer for Jin, "It's probably those people I've seen him hang out with at the gazebo in front of Pearsons Hall. I bet you they're not the type he should be out with on a Friday night…" He didn't have anything against most of the people who hung out at the gazebos, even if they were smokers. He had become friends with one of them the previous year in fact. Unfortunately there was a particular group that would bide their time at the Pearsons gazebo at certain times of day, and he most definitely did not like any of the individuals he had met of that group.

"Oh… Wait, what's wrong with that? I mean, isn't it good he's branching out? Sure, they smoke, but they can be good people." Hoseok stated. Of course, he felt similar to Jin because he truly had no clue who would take care of Jungkook wherever he was going… Seriously, with as sheltered as he had been just a month and a half ago, he still had so much to learn.

"He's talking about that groups of skateboard guys. I think there are two track team members in it, and that's how Jungkook started hanging out with them I think. And you know how Jungkook is about skateboarding…" Namjoon pointed out as he scratched his right cheek and then leaned against the nearby wall.

Jin didn't appreciate the negativity all of them were practically emitting, but he knew they were right. If that was who Jungkook was leaving with, nothing good was going to come of it. That group was known to be full of party animals.

"You know, I was actually surprised that you decided to come with us, but I'm glad you did, Damien. We could always use someone else to have fun with!" Jeremy, a junior track member, said excitedly as he pulled into the parking lot of Soundbar, a bar located in Lexington, Kentucky that allowed underage individuals into the bar without allowing them to drink.

Once parked, Jeremy, another track member named Gabe, and Jungkook all exited the car and walked over to another vehicle nearby just as its passengers vacated the vehicle to join them. Jungkook was only acquaintances with most of the group, but he was mostly there because of the two track members he was more familiar with. The seven of them walked together towards the entrance, each of them showing their IDs to the bouncer at the door. For the three of them who were underage, their right hands were marked with a permanent black "X" so the bartenders would know not to serve them.

"Don't worry, even if you can't drink just yet, you can still have fun. Just loosen up; you're looking tense, Damien." Jeremy insisted as he sat at the bar gestured for Jungkook to sit beside him while the rest of the group sat on Jeremy's other side. "Here, we'll get you some water," he said as he gestured for the bartender to take their order. After ordering a water for Jungkook, he ordered a Cuba Libre for himself and excitedly returned his attention to Jungkook after his friends had ordered, "I'm actually really excited since I just turned 21 a few days ago. I've tried a few alcoholic drinks already, but I haven't tried anything with rum in it yet. This'll be new for me. Anyway, how are you liking track practice so far? I know we've only had three training sessions, but I'm curious to hear what you're opinion is."

Jungkook couldn't argue that he wasn't uncomfortable. The bar was rather busy, the scent of various types of alcohol was in the air, and honestly he was already missing the other housemates… He wished he was more of an extrovert, but it was times like these that he realized the only progress he had made at becoming a socially adept individual of society was with those six people he had come to trust almost as much as his brother. He so badly wanted to break out of his shell, he desperately wanted to prove that he could befriend others without someone else's assistance and that he could be more than some shy British kid that was only seen because of his nationality. He was making progress with this group of people, and even if he was uncomfortable, he was willing to endure it if he gained friends in the end. With a small smile, Jungkook tried his best to release the tension in his body, just as Jeremy had asked of him, while he watched the group order their drinks. He waited for the bartender to hand him his water and watched as the man continued to make the alcoholic beverages right in front of them before Jungkook answered Jeremy's question, "Practice is alright… I guess it's not what I expected. I enjoy it, but it kind of troubles me that practice isn't required. I mean… isn't that a load of rubbish? If you're training a team for something, shouldn't you require the practice for it?"

Jeremy laughed at Jungkook's comment and thanked the bartender for his beverage as he set it down in front of him. He immediately picked the drink up and took a tasting sip of the rum and coca cola mixture, and then he returned to the conversation, "Wow, that's actually really good… Sorry, back to the topic, I know what you mean, but it's not like it's never required. Track practice is only set up this way in the fall because we don't have competitions until the spring semester. Plus the fall semester can be a little chilly to run in. The thing is, if you make it optional, the best of the track members are still going to show up. If you attend practices, it shows you want to make progress and that you're willing to put the effort in. Of course, it also means you enjoy running more than those who decide not to come. You're proving yourself to be a great asset to our team, and Gabe and I are especially excited to see you compete." He remarked, raising the glass of the drink to his lips for another sip, "Actually, I think you'll probably beat us by the end of next semester I wager…"

"Ha! No way, you really think so? Damien's got speed, but so do we. I think we'll give him a run for his money." Gabe spoke up from Jeremy's right as he leaned over to look Jungkook in the eyes, "You're a great addition to our team, but don't get a big head about it. That's when a lot of people lose their cool."

"Oh, come on, Gabe, I'm just saying. He's got a lot of potential. Besides, we're not competing against each other; we're competing against other schools. All of us are all after the same goal." Jeremy pointed out matter-of-factly to which Gabe merely shrugged.

"I think Jeremy's right. It doesn't matter which one of us is the best runner, it just matters that we can work together to beat the other teams." Jungkook agreed nervously. He wasn't sure why, but Gabe seemed to be a little upset about the topic. Perhaps he had experienced something similar with another individual in the past…

"Yeah… that is the point of practicing together. All I'm asking is that you don't hurt the team by putting yourself ahead of it. Even if you've got more steam, you've got to know when to hold it back." Gabe signaled that he was finished with that particular conversation by taking a few gulps of his whisky.

Jeremy nodded in Gabe's direction and then finished his own drink only to look the drink menu over for something else he might want to try. As soon as he decided, he flagged the bartender down, ordered, and soon retrieved his next beverage, known as the Zombie. He was enticed by the name, being a huge fan of zombie games and movies, and he was also eager to try a drink a little stronger than the ones he had tried so far.

The night continued on with several different conversations about skateboarding, video games, class complaints, and the like; of course, the longer the group talked, the more alcohol they consumed. One thing led to another, and before long, Jeremy and two of the others were drunk and Gabe was on the borderline. Thankfully the other two underage individuals of the group were able to drive, but they were too busy getting a kick out of their drunken friends to want to leave any time soon.

Jungkook wasn't exactly pleased that his friends were so drunk, but at the same time, it was definitely a sight to see. They were saying some of the most ridiculous things, with one of the topics discussing how to drink alcohol underwater. To individuals as sober as the three underage people at the bar were, their 'how to' guidelines on how this worked made absolutely no sense, but to the other drunks, it seemed believable. Though, Jeremy disagreed with one of the group members, saying that the alcohol had to be in the oxygen tank for one to feel the effects. It was complete and utter nonsense. These conversations came as quite the amusement to Jungkook, but his attention was taken by the vibration of his mobile device in his pocket. He pulled the phone out, typed the password in, and began to read over the message sent to him by his brother.

 _ **Dominic:**_ _Seriously I'm getting fed up over here. Same old same old, you know? It's a bunch of rubbish having to take orders from people who think they're doing a great service by giving a year or two of their life to look after us in place of parents. I'm real sick of this Damien… I know we deal with this every time we get thrown somewhere else in the system, but it's harder without you…_

Jungkook read over the text, holding it still in his right hand on the bar, as he rested his head in his left hand. He hated receiving texts like these… He wished he could be there with his brother to help him get through whatever he was dealing with right now, but he wasn't… The guardians the two of them were currently under had been looking after them for the past year now, and he agreed they were a little too strict… Somehow the older they became, the harder it was for them to get along with whoever decided to randomly dump themselves into their lives. Either way, he had to think of something to reply with… He read the message over and over, leaning back in his seat as he thought about what to say.

Before he had time to reply to his brother, Jungkook was interrupted by Jeremy who was trying to get out of his seat to go to the bathroom without falling over. He turned off his cellphone and placed it back in his pocket as he stood and offered to help, "Are you going to be alright going to the lavatory by yourself, or do you need me to help?" he had never been in a situation like this, so naturally he wasn't sure what should be done. In his opinion, Jeremy definitely needed a little assistance…

"The lavatory..? What you talking 'bout, I'm going to the bathroom." Jeremy replied loudly as he allowed Jungkook to help him from seat, but waved him off as he started walking, "I don't need any help…"

Jungkook hesitantly allowed Jeremy to walk by himself, but he watched him in case he got himself into trouble. Unfortunately, he soon realized that letting him walk alone was the wrong decision… Jeremy was walking clumsily on his way to the toilet, and because he couldn't walk straight, he accidentally lost his footing and fell to his left onto another person who was seated at a table with another group of college-aged men. Jungkook rushed to Jeremy's aid and pulled him away from the table while simultaneously trying to hold him up straight and apologizing for his actions, but as soon as he realized who it was Jeremy had disturbed, he cut the apologies short, "Sorry about that, my friend is really- Paul?"

Paul stood from his seat and immediately stared the two of them down, seemingly using his height to intimidate them more than he might have sitting down. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Is there not enough room for you to walk around? Fall on me again, and I'll knock your lights out." He threatened Jeremy as he took hold of his shirt collar with a glare. The underage people of the group Jungkook had come with stood from their seats at the bar in case something started.

"Leave him alone, Paul. He's drunk, can't you see that? It was unintentional." Jungkook insisted as he reached over and broke Paul's hand away from Jeremy's shirt, "Come on, Jeremy, I'll take you over there this time."

"Hey!" Paul raised his voice to catch Jungkook's attention as he grabbed his upper arm to pull him back in his direction, "I don't take orders from kids like you. Don't forget, you're the one who's supposed to answer to me," he snarled.

"You've got that wrong. I only have to listen to you at work." Jungkook replied sternly, though his tough exterior began to falter once he noticed Paul's free hand ball up into a tight fist.

"Hey, break it up! I don't need any fights in here, and if you're going to cause trouble, just get the hell out of here!" The bar manager shouted at them once he caught sight of the scene. The last thing he wanted was for the bar to become a madhouse of fist fights and police.

Paul hesitantly released Jungkook's arm and gestured for his friends at his table to leave with him. As soon as they all began to file out, he spoke up once more so he could get the last word in, "We'll see about that, Damien." He turned on his heel and followed his friends out of the building, and once he reached his car, he sat himself in the driver's seat and slammed the door closed while three of his friends joined him in the vehicle. Instead of turning on his engine, he pulled out his phone and went directly to his photos to select on the most recent one taken. Jungkook's back faced the camera in this photo, but his cell phone was visible, which was all Paul wanted. He zoomed in, and sure enough, he was able to read the text message just as he had hoped. He had been watching Jungkook once he had noticed his presence, and the fact that Jungkook's entire demeanor changed at the retrieval of that message told him he could gain a bit of information by walking by and taking a picture of his phone. It was simple because Jungkook wasn't aware that Paul was even at the bar. "I've got to say… this kid really knows how to act like he's someone else." He smirked.

Jungkook and his group also left the bar after Paul pulled out of the parking lot, and the two designated drivers made sure all of them got in the car for them to head home. It was already nearing 2:00 a.m., and Jungkook had been texting the other housemates to let them know everything was alright and that he was on the way back. As per usual the housemates were concerned with him being gone with people they didn't know and being at a place they didn't know, and he didn't completely understand it… Of course he had had curfew before, and he had been scolded for being out too late in the forest with his brother, but none of that was ever because there was any concern for his or his brother's wellbeing. Usually, rules were set in place simply for others' convenience. He didn't know why, but for some reason, his housemates' curiosity didn't seem to be of selfish reasoning… His welcome home even attested to that as they all barraged him with questions and wrestled him like always; he was truly glad to have finally returned.

After that night, it wasn't long before Jungkook was asked to join the group of friends again, other than the usual chatter they had at the gazebo. A week and a half later on Tuesday night, November 11th, Gabe texted him asking him to hang out, even though it was already dark outside. However, it was only 8:00 p.m., and he knew that it was more than enough time for him to go out and return by 12:00 at least. Besides, Gabe said he was already coming down the street, so how could he refuse? Excitedly, he grabbed his zip up sweater and pulled on his shoes before giving a quick explanation to the others and heading out the door. Though his attempt at an explanation was just a brief comment saying he was hanging out with friends.

"He's hanging out with them more and more lately… I'm serious, I don't like this. The last time they went out he didn't get back until two in the morning. It's a school night; does he really think he should be leaving the house?" Namjoon remarked as he entered the living room and sat on the couch to join the others

"I just hope he knows what he's doing… It's not that I don't think he's intelligent, but with the wrong crowd, some people give in to peer pressure and do things they wouldn't normally do…" Yoongi commented as he watched from the window as Jungkook jogged up to a pick-up truck and jumped into the passenger seat just before they drove away, "It's too dark to see anything… Why doesn't he tell us who he's going with or where they're going?" Needless to say, he was annoyed that Jungkook was acting so reckless and wished he would quit fooling around…

"Hold on, I'll call him and ask what's going on." Taehyung volunteered as he pulled out his phone and clicked on Jungkook's contact to call him. It wasn't long before they all begun to hear the Doctor Who theme song faintly playing from the master bedroom. "Hey, he gave me the Doctor Who ringtone! That's actually pretty neat…" he grinned.

"You mean he left his phone?!" Hoseok asked as he hurried to the back bedroom to find the mobile device. With the sound leading him to its location, it wasn't long before he found the phone hiding barely under his bed, "Man… Why does he have to be so careless sometimes…" he groaned as he made his way back to the living room with the phone in hand. He had already turned off its sound while in the hallway, "It was under his bed… Either way, we have no way of contacting him now. Hopefully he'll come home sooner than later…"

Jin ran a hand through his dark brown hair as he tried not to think negatively of the whole situation. It was possible that these people weren't as bad as they sounded, but Yoongi most certainly knew how to crush that hope. He seemed to have a real grudge against these people… They didn't even know if Jungkook was with that group or not!

Meanwhile, Jungkook had only just realized that he was missing his phone due to a hole that had formed inside the bottom lining of his jacket pocket. With the size of the hole, he figured it must have fallen somewhere at the house, so he tried not to worry about it being lost and instead focused on the road ahead. He had no idea where they were going, but he had learned that this group was very spontaneous and rarely did any sort of planning at all. He both liked and disliked this fact; while a lack of planning left plenty of room for adventure, it could also mean trouble, like what happened at the bar. He couldn't blame anyone for that, but they could have at least warned him they were even going to such a place.

The car ride must have taken at least ten minutes to arrive at their destination, which was completely unknown to Jungkook. The place they parked in seem to be wide open, but trees lined the entire lot and a dark forest lay ahead of them. "Where are we?" Jungkook questioned as he opened the passenger door, allowing the loud song of the cicadas to break the silence that had enveloped the car after the engine was turned off.

"We're at the Pinnacles. It's a hiking trail that most Berea College students hike at least once during their stay at the college." Gabe replied as he watched Jungkook get out of the car. He was about to open his car door as well when his phone suddenly rang, and he had to answer it, "Hello?... Yeah. Yeah I got him here… You what?... Alright, give me a few." He ended the short call and let out a sigh as he looked over at Jungkook, "Hey, Jeremy's having car troubles, so I've got to go pick him up. There's only room in this truck for one, so you'll have to stay here until I get back, alright? The other guys should be pulling in within a few minutes, so just hang tight." He informed him, gesturing for Jungkook to close the passenger door.

Jungkook gave him a brief nod, closed the door, and backed away from the truck so Gabe could drive away. He didn't exactly know what to think at that moment… He wasn't afraid of the dark, and he wasn't quite as cautious as he used to be, so he took this opportunity to just get a look around while he waited. He zipped up his sweater and pulled his hood over his head to warm himself up a little as he began to walk into the forest where a hiking trail seemed to begin. There was a wide open area to his right where he spotted a few log seats as he approached, presumably for a show or something Berea might hold now and then. Past the seating area, he found a sign directly to the right of the trail, but he couldn't read what it said because it was so dark. He just wished that he had his phone on him so he had a flashlight…

"Damien! You there?!" A voice shouted from the trail's entrance. Jungkook didn't quite recognize it, but he still answered to it because he assumed it was one of the group members he wasn't completely familiar with yet. He had only really gotten to know three of them… "Yeah, I'm coming!" he responded as he hurried down the trail to return to its entrance.

Before he had any time to react, out of the darkness Jungkook was tackled to the ground and punched repeatedly in the stomach by his attacker. He was already winded by the landing, but one punch after another continued to keep him from being able to breathe properly. Gasping and coughing for air, he tried to fight off the assailant with his hands first, but when he realized it was doing him no good, he was able to pull his knee up and kick him away. He rolled over and pushed himself up onto his knees as he tried to regain his breath and held his stomach as the pain set in. He didn't have much time before he was kicked onto his back once more, and instead of a single person, he was able to see a total of four looming over him for just a split second before he again tried to scramble away.

Another hard kick to his stomach, followed by another to his side, and soon several followed in irregular patterns with all of the individuals present having a go at it. He pleaded for them to stop and cried out for help, but his voice was drowned out in their cheering and laughter the more he tried to get away. No matter which way he turned, he couldn't get away from the intolerable amount of pain he was being put through. He couldn't even fight back anymore as he reached up to cover his head to at least protect the most valuable part of his body. No part of his body was spared from the attacks except for his head and his lower legs. It seemed like time had come to a standstill as the abuse continued on and on…

It took Jungkook several seconds to realize they had finally stopped, but he didn't dare move in fear he would be hit again if he did. He just needed to breathe, and even that had become agonizing for him. While his eyes desperately wanted to release a few tears, he fought them back in case they were seen by his attackers… He coughed several times as he finally allowed himself to move, and by the third cough, he suddenly became aware of the taste of iron indicative of blood. He couldn't see it, but he knew he had coughed it up…

"Damien, Damien, Damien… didn't your mother ever tell you not to walk around alone in the dark? Oh, wait… You don't have a mother, do you?" Paul's voice teased him from above followed by the snickers and laughs of the others present.

Jungkook froze once more as Paul finished his sentence… What was he talking about? Why was he doing this? He couldn't think very clearly, but he knew for sure that he hadn't done anything recently to have pissed him off. Carefully he pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing as he forced himself to bend forward to finally look at Paul, "What… What do you mean?" he had to pretend to not know what he was talking about. There was no way he could possibly know about his background! It was just… just a lucky guess for Paul!

"Don't play stupid with me. You remember that bar we were at on Halloween night? You received a text from- what was his name?" Paul checked his phone, "Oh, that's right, Dominic- shortly before we were asked to leave. I'd quote it, but I'm sure you know what it says. It just… explains everything. So… why was I curious? Why am I going out of my way and wasting my time dealing with you? From day one you have been a major pain in my ass, you know that? Do you have any idea how much I'm paying for rent because of you? If you hadn't shown up at that house like a lost puppy, I would be saving at least $200 a month! For a while, I let that go, thinking I wouldn't have to deal with you again. But hell, I became your manager at work, and you still have the audacity to defy me every single day you work under me, which has gotten worse since that night at the bar. You seriously test my patience, and right now, I'm just enjoying being able to talk to you one on one without your little buddies protecting you. Don't feel so tough now, do you?" he spat at him with disgust. "It's no wonder you're an orphan. I would have dumped you, too, if I was your parent."

"Shut up!" Jungkook shouted at him as he jumped to his feet and threw his fist in Paul's direction. One of Paul's friends grabbed hold of his arm to keep him from hitting Paul, and Jungkook was backhanded so hard that he fell to the ground once more simply from being so disoriented. His cheek stung like nothing he ever felt before, and this time, a tear immediately fell from his left eye without any warning at all. "I-I'm not an orphan! My… My parents are alive, and they didn't dump me!"

"Yeah, well… I'm pretty sure every orphan says that. Besides, wouldn't you prefer that they be dead? I'm sure you've thought about this, right? If they died, that means they didn't have a choice to leave you, that is unless they committed suicide of course. But, if they are still alive, that means they have deliberately chosen to discard you from their lives. You're denying both are true, which is, well… your way of coping with it I suppose. One day, you're just going to have to admit that you're nothing but garbage. In fact, didn't your brother say that he's tired of having new guardians? So you've been in and out of the system. You're a hand-me-down. Once people have enough of you, they just pass you on. Even those housemates of yours will forget about you once the year is over and you're flying home." Paul continued to toy with him, knowing fully well that every word was getting to him.

"That's not true!" Jungkook spoke up weakly, though the words that left his mouth felt completely empty. It WAS true. All of it, every word. The past few months made him feel like his life had only just begun thanks to the housemates, but it was exactly like the first few guardians he had. They spoke promises that turned into lies, made happy memories that turned into hated ones, and most of all made him question himself, his existence, and everything surrounding him. Deep down he knew that once the year was over, these people that called themselves friends and brothers would become distant memories that he would look back on and loathe because he should never have gotten involved in the first place. This pain, inside and out, felt like it would never leave…

"Please stop speaking lies, Damien. You're not convincing anybody here. But, hey, I brought something for you." Paul remarked as he took a bottle of beer from one of his buddies and opened it with the bottle opener on his keychain. "I'm sure you're feeling a little down, so why don't you have a little drink. Come on, sit up. It'll help make the pain go away." He insisted, gesturing for two of the others to force him into a sitting position without giving Jungkook the option.

"I'm not drinking anything." Jungkook hissed, trying to regain a tough exterior against Paul after the discomfort of sitting up passed. He had to keep trying, he had to fight everything he was feeling… He just wanted this to end.

"Oh, you're not, are you? See, this is why you're in this position in the first place. You don't know how to take orders very well… Drink it." Paul insisted as his friends grabbed a hold of him and assisted Paul in forcing the alcohol into his mouth. The beer spilled everywhere as Jungkook tried not to let it in, and as much as he fought, he had to give in at one point when he couldn't breathe otherwise. He took in several gulps before the rest of it was spilled over his body and the bottle was thrown into the woods to their left. As Jungkook sputtered and coughed, Paul stood upright once more and pulled out a cigarette, placed it in his own mouth, and set its end ablaze with his lighter before returning it to his pocket, "Listen to me very carefully, Damien… If you challenge me again, this pain your feeling is going to be a lot worse the next time around, you hear me?" he warned him as he bent down to eye level with him once more. He paused when a few drops of rain fell onto his head signaling a shower was eminent and then scoffed a little, "Looks like our time here's just about done… but here, I want to leave you with a souvenir before your skin gets too wet." He said then grabbed hold of Jungkook's left wrist, pushed his jacket's sleeve up, pulled the cigarette from his mouth, and immediately forced its end onto the skin of his inner wrist.

Jungkook let out a yelp of agony as soon as the burning cigarette made contact with his skin. Paul kept it pressed for several seconds before allowing his friends to release Jungkook and grabbing the maknae's glasses while he was at it, "See you around, orphan." He bid him farewell before hurrying to his car now that the rain had started. He quickly bent the center of the glasses in half and then threw the pair of lenses into the forest to complete the deed just before getting into the car with his friends.

Now that they were gone, Jungkook's mind was finally able to start thinking about more than what Paul was feeding into his brain. With the taste of alcohol still fresh on his lips, the long lasting sting of the cigarette burn still lingering on his wrist, and the immense amount of suffering he was experiencing in his abdomen, he came to the realization that somehow, he still needed to get to the house… He had no way of contacting anyone, so he had no choice but to walk all the way back. His mind was willing, but his body was far from wanting to comply. The rain grew harder and broke through the canopies of the trees and onto the forest floor, every cold drop feeling heavier and heavier on Jungkook's body than rain has ever felt before. The sound of the rain echoing through the trees acted as a lullaby to break his thoughts and soothe his mind, and soon enough, his body finally shut itself down to rest before he could even think about forcing himself to stand…

"Where is he? He should be back by now… Doesn't he realize he has to get up at 6:00 in the morning?" Jin questioned aloud in a hushed voice as he paced back and forth behind the couch where the entire household was gathered. It was his turn to rant about Jungkook now that it was nearing 1:30 a.m. He, Yoongi, and Namjoon were the only ones awake at this point while the others were fast asleep on the couch, though they had asked to be woken up once the maknae returned.

"I swear this kid's lack of consideration for us really annoys me. He does know we wait up for him, right?" Yoongi mumbled and yawned once he was finished. He had just woken from a nap 15 minutes ago and was hoping to wake up knowing Jungkook had arrived…

"I'm not sure he does know, hyung… He didn't expect it last time at least. He's just out trying new things; he's got to learn his own lessons somehow." Namjoon reasoned as his eyes watched Jin pace for a moment and then returned to the door. "Jin hyung, you should sit down. You've been pacing for who knows how long, and it's keeping me on edge…" he asked of the oldest as he let out a heavy sigh. This was just like Halloween, except this time, they were all required to go to school the next day.

Jin apologized and walked around the couch to sit down, but before he could, the front door at last swung open. Jungkook stepped in quietly and closed the door behind him without a word. He was soaked to the bone and trying his best not to shiver once he noticed the others in the room. Instead of making conversation, he decided to head straight for his bedroom so he could grab himself some dry clothes—of course, Yoongi wasn't about to let him go just like that. He knew if he let Jungkook go down the hall, he wouldn't see him for the rest of the night.

"Where've you been?" Yoongi immediately questioned him after placing himself between him and the hallway, "We've been waiting up for you, we've been worrying about you… You could have at least called one of us from one of your friend's phones or something. Why were you out this late when you know you have an early start tomorrow? Answer me!" he insisted, becoming more and more upset the longer Jungkook made him wait for a response. A lot of frustration had been building up throughout the night.

"Yoongi, calm down." Jin warned him as he gently shook those who were sleeping awake. He knew Yoongi was upset, but he didn't need to yell at Jungkook when he didn't even have an explanation yet.

"We… we went up to the Pinnacles…" Jungkook answered quietly, knowing that if he didn't give some kind of answer Yoongi wouldn't allow him to go any further, "We just—"

"Why does your breath smell of beer? Are you kidding me? All this time we've been waiting up for you, and you've been fooling around, drinking alcohol with these irresponsible people that you call friends?! Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have gotten into?! And you're really going to stand in front of me, lying to my face, when you basically wreak of beer?" Yoongi scoffed and shook his head, trying not to blow up even more than he already had. He couldn't believe Jungkook thought him to be such a fool. He was pissed.

"Yoongi, you're not helping. Jungkook, go on and- Wait a minute… Where are your glasses? You left with them on, didn't you?" Jin questioned him uncertainly as he approached the two of them and looked him in the eyes with concern. Of course he was upset that he had been drinking and that he was late, but with Yoongi letting out all of his anger on him, he no longer felt it necessary to do the same.

"Yeah, he did." Namjoon answered Jin before Jungkook was able to get a word out of his mouth. He made sure the others were getting up and then came to Jin's side with his hands stuffed in his pockets, "So what happened to your glasses? You don't usually take them off when you're out…"

"Look, I dropped them and accidentally stepped on them because it was dark, okay?" Jungkook pushed past Yoongi and hurried down the hallway, slamming the door closed and locking it as soon as he reached his room. They couldn't possibly understand what he was going through! It's not like Yoongi would believe him anyway! He told the truth about being at the Pinnacles, he told the truth that his glasses had been broken, and still all Yoongi wanted to do was reprimand him for drinking, when it wasn't even his choice… What even gave him the right to yell at him? None of them had the right to question him the way they did. Why did he even return? Most of him wanted to disappear rather than come back and face this household… The entire way home he contemplated taking his own life to rid himself of this suffering, inside and out. The problem is, he still had a brother waiting for him… a brother that had never let him down, no matter what happened. So for him, he had to overcome this...

Jungkook stuffed a small hand towel in his mouth and bit down as hard as he could to help him endure the pain he was experiencing as he pulled his t-shirt off in the bathroom. The soaked t-shirt was extremely difficult to take off particularly when he was forced to stretch his arms up to slip it over his head. As soon as the shirt was on the floor, he removed the hand towel from his mouth and released several heavy breaths as he braced himself with the bathroom's sink. By now tears were trickling down his cheeks; he was trying to make his breaths smaller to dim the pain he felt with every exhale… He didn't know how serious his injuries were, but he couldn't go to a hospital even if he needed to. If anyone found out about the fight, he would be kicked out of Berea College. He knew that was why Paul didn't outright punch him in the face… He knew Paul was deliberately avoiding the places on his body that would be visible to others.

Again, Jungkook put the washcloth back in his mouth to remove the rest of his clothing, with the intent of taking a shower. It took him several minutes just to remove his jeans because the wet material clung to his skin. He had to take three breaks until he had finally slipped the jeans past his feet enough to remove the pants by stepping on the ends. He couldn't believe it was this difficult to get undressed, and he could only imagine what he would be feeling when the next day approached…

"Why are you guys just standing outside your door? You need to get some sleep, even if Jungkook is having an attitude. It's your room, too." Namjoon said to Jimin and Taehyung, who were leaning against the nearby wall in the hallway. Jin and Yoongi could be heard speaking to each other in their room, though it was mostly just Yoongi they heard ranting to Jin who was trying to calm him down.

"He locked the door; I think he just needs to cool down a bit…" Jimin replied with a frown and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "I've never seen him or Yoongi hyung so upset… I mean, we've all had our arguments, but they've always been so small. Seeing them like this…" he trailed off with a sigh and a shake of his head. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to say, and what made it worse was that Hoseok didn't seem to be taking it very well either… And he was the positive one of the group.

Namjoon offered a pat to Jimin's shoulder, hoping to assure him that everything was going to be okay. "Yoongi hyung has his reasoning for being upset… He knows we've all been up waiting for Jungkook, and he knows how much all of us were concerned about him. He probably didn't like the fact that Jungkook tried to just walk away without giving him any truthful explanation, which he feels he was owed. And apparently he drank so… This whole thing's just a mess. The problem is that I understand Yoongi hyung, but I don't get Jungkook. Hopefully he'll be back to normal in the morning…" he stated as he leaned against the opposite wall.

Taehyung listened to their conversation without a word. He may not know what happened, but he didn't want to believe that Jungkook was goofing around all this time… He wanted there to be a good reason for all of this, and he hoped he'd figure it out soon…

"... Is Hoseok hyung okay? He's not said anything at all…" Jimin asked Namjoon since he was his roommate. Hoseok had gone directly to his room once he had gotten up from the couch, so he didn't know if he was tired or upset.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. He doesn't handle arguments very well is all…" Namjoon informed him quietly just as he heard the sound of water running, "Sounds like he's taking a shower… You guys are ready for bed, right? I think I can unlock the door to let you in. Let me get some scissors." he went back into his room and retrieved a pair but was immediately stopped by Jimin's loose grip on his upper arm before he could reach the door.

"No, no, that's okay, hyung. I'll do it." Jimin offered instead; he'd rather not give Namjoon the opportunity to break a door handle… "Can you really open these locks with scissors?" He opened the pair and inserted one of the sharp ends into the keyhole and then proceeded to turn it until the door was unlocked. He closed the scissors and scratched his head as he contemplated over what just happened, "This is a really worn down keyhole, isn't it? I mean, that really shouldn't have worked… Anyway, thanks for the help. We've got to get to bed now, so goodnight…" he and Taehyung entered the room and closed the door behind them.

Four and a half hours later at 6:30 in the morning, Jungkook's alarm began to ring obnoxiously from his bedside table. Jimin's eyes flickered open almost immediately, and his drowsiness was quick to settle in. They did not get enough sleep last night, that was for sure… He was about to close his eyes to return to his slumber and wait for his own alarm to go off, but his eyes fell upon Jungkook, who was fast asleep and ignoring the alarm.

"That thing is so loud…" Taehyung mumbled his complaint as he rested his gaze on Jungkook as well. His thoughts from last night still lingered in his mind, and he couldn't help but wonder whether or not Jungkook was going to act any differently today. It was weird that he had decided to go to bed in a long-sleeved shirt when normally he would use a t-shirt, but perhaps he was cold after all of that rain last night… Taehyung figured he should probably stop looking so far into it, but that was when he caught the sight of something he hadn't seen on Jungkook before. Jungkook lay still on his back, which wasn't his normal sleeping position, and his left wrist hung over the bed with the inner part of it facing up. With his shirt sleeve slightly tugged towards his elbow, Taehyung could see the red and slightly yellow cigarette burn that stained his skin, and suddenly, he found himself completely awake and jumping out of bed to check to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Unfortunately, the closer he got, the worse it looked, and his heart began to race faster the more he observed and thought about it, "Jimin. Jimin, get down here." he insisted seriously, but in a whisper.

"What is it? Aren't you going to turn off the alarm?" Jimin asked sleepily without moving a muscle.

"Andy. Seriously, come down." Taehyung stated, using his actual name to emphasize that he needed to listen to him.

Jimin sat up at the use of his American name and leaned over his bed to meet Taehyung's glance to see what was going on. The look he received made him nervous, so he took no time to delay in listening to his command and climbing down the top bunk. He gestured for Taehyung to wait a moment as he went around the other side of the bed to turn off Jungkook's alarm, but as soon as he turned it off, Jungkook shifted in his bed and lifted both of his arms to place them over his stomach, his eyes still tightly shut. "Man, he needs to wake up… I know we're all tired, but-" he paused when he looked back at Taehyung and saw him rubbing a hand over his own mouth as he stood in a thinking position, "Uh… sorry… what did you want me to come down for? You just wanted me to start getting ready, didn't you?" he asked uncertainly.

"... Yeah… I just… thought that you should get up since you're in the same 8:00 class as him…" Taehyung replied after a moment. He sat down on the edge of his own bed and faked a yawn to show Jimin that he was just really tired, but his mind was going every direction… He was afraid that if he told Jimin aloud what he saw, Jungkook might overhear him if he was actually awake. He didn't want to chance that because he knew bringing it up wouldn't be the best idea. This sort of thing was a real sensitive topic…

"Okay, uh… thanks for making sure I did. I guess we should get him up too, right?" Jimin remarked as he thought about how he should wake him up. In hopes of helping him start off with a better day, he figured it'd help to wrestle with him and get him into his normal spirits; usually that helped when he was feeling down. So without any further thought, he jumped onto the bed and pounced Jungkook, "It's time to wake up!" he shouted simultaneously.

As soon as Jimin's body made contact with his, Jungkook's eyes flashed open, and he immediately did all he could to push Jimin off of him, accidentally sending him falling backwards towards Taehyung, who was thankfully able to react in time to catch Jimin before he hit the ground, though his legs had hit the bedside table and knocked over the alarm clock. Jungkook raised himself up on his knees and held his stomach, feeling as winded as he had after being tackled to the ground and punched last night. He was gasping for air for several seconds before calming down while Taehyung and Jimin just stared with both confusion and concern. They didn't understand what was happening; Jungkook had never acted like that…

The room's door swung open with Yoongi and Jin rushing into the room after hearing the commotion from the room across from them. They had been woken by the sound of the alarm already, so they were able to hear the clatter without a problem, "What's going on? Is everything okay?" Jin asked immediately upon entering.

"Everything's fine." Jungkook snapped back as he got out of bed, grabbed the clothes he had set out for himself on his dresser, and then entered the master bathroom to start getting ready for the day. If it wasn't for Jimin, Jungkook honestly probably wouldn't have gotten out of bed. His body was practically screaming at him not to move even the slightest, and while Jimin's tackle did hurt a great deal, he was thankful it gave him the push to get up.

Yoongi tried to stop Jungkook, but unfortunately for him, Jungkook was able to beat him to the bathroom and lock the door before he could bother him. He banged his fist on the door and yelled through it, showing his frustration once more, "I don't care how hungover you may be, but no one in the house deserves this attitude, you understand me?!" He was sick of whatever mental state he was going through, and the fact that he was already snapping first thing in the morning was a sign to him that he didn't just drink last night… He must have gotten drunk for him to be acting this way…

"Hyung, stop!" Taehyung demanded of Yoongi as he pulled him away from the bathroom door, "Everyone get out of the room. Just go." he insisted, gesturing for all three of them to leave. He followed after them and closed the bedroom door, and before Yoongi could argue back with him, he raised his index finger to his own lips to signal for them to be quiet, "Look, something's not right. I'm serious, this needs to stop. Whatever is going on with him, I don't think it's his fault… Just give him some space."

"He's right. It doesn't matter what mood I've seen him in; he's always loosened up when I try wrestling with him. This time is completely different… Maybe I accidently elbowed him in his chest or something…" Jimin agreed with Taehyung, still a little shocked by what had happened.

"What do you mean you don't think it's his fault? Drinking was his choice, staying out late was his choice, his attitude is his choice." Yoongi disagreed, obviously not getting what Taehyung was trying to say. It was early morning, all of them were sleep deprived, and the last thing they had wanted was to wake up to more of last night.

Taehyung shook his head as he tried to find the words he wanted to say… Should he tell them what he saw? Should he question Jungkook about the burn? He didn't know… "Just… Just go back to bed. Please… He needs space, and if you don't give it to him, it's just going to be worse."

Jin nodded and gestured for Yoongi to go back into their room, "Let's go… We can discuss more with him after classes." Though Yoongi glared at Jin defiantly for making him return to his room, he listened and kept quiet while Jin closed the door behind him, "Yoongi, I know you mean well, and I know why you're upset… but maybe there's something we're not seeing." he suggested as he crossed the room to sit on his bed.

"Like what? Just because he was peer pressured into it doesn't mean he shouldn't be held responsible for his own actions…" Yoongi replied with an aggravated sigh as he sat down at his desk. None of this made sense, and he honestly had no idea how to handle it…

Jungkook skipped breakfast and didn't walk with Jimin to class as he normally did… During their first class all Jimin could think about was Jungkook and what might be going on with him and how he could make things better. He made several attempts at jokes, asked him questions about in-class assignments, and did anything he could to start a conversation with him, but none of his efforts yielded results… He had no choice but to occasionally check up on him to see how he was fairing, sneaking a text to Jin every now and then to keep him updated. Jimin explained to Jin that Jungkook looked very ill and didn't speak at all during class, but there really wasn't much more he could say… He told Jungkook to text him if he needed anything, but again he had no response and had to go to his next class worrying about him more and more.

None of the housemates shared a class with Jungkook after Jimin until their Korean class, so none of them were aware of his current condition. All of them sat together at the same table in the cafeteria as usual, a booth against the wall adjacent to the dishroom. A couch sitting space was directly in between their booth and the dishroom, so they didn't have to deal with crowds surrounding them whenever the rush hit and people lined up to get rid of their dishes. It was nearing 12:30 p.m., and unfortunately many of the members who knew they had class at 1:20 weren't even touching the food on their plates…

"You all need to eat." Namjoon spoke up as he nudged Taehyung to his left and gently kicked Jimin's shoe diagonally across from him. He was told by Jin what had happened that morning, but he wasn't pleased that everyone was in such a bad mood by lunch time. "He's not going to feel better knowing you're not taking care of yourselves. If you're really worried about him, you should eat and then go find him. He's working his lunch shift right now."

"I bet you he's in the dishroom, and if he is, you can't talk to him until the lunch rush is over." Yoongi pointed out as he picked at his food with his fork but put no effort into actually eating it. He was being hard on himself for yelling at Jungkook the way he did, especially in front of the others… He didn't mean to snap. Part of him really didn't know how to handle his emotions, and instead of showing his concern, he showed his anger. His eyes lifted from his food only to spot Paul at the dessert bar, obviously on his break, and he couldn't help but feel more sour than he did, "I really hope Jungkook released his attitude onto Paul. He looks so happy with himself that it makes me sick, knowing who he really is…" he muttered.

Hoseok looked up and watched as Paul walked away towards the other side of the cafeteria before responding, "I know you're a little bitter with him, but you should try and forgive him… I mean, he only caused an issue that one time Taehyung was still interviewing for roommates right?"

"Trust me, Paul and Yoongi will always hate each other's guts." Taehyung replied as he finally took a bit of the mashed potatoes he had on his plate. "But hey, now that I'm thinking about it… Were Jungkook's glasses prescription glasses? He seems to be getting along without them…"

"They are prescription, but they're only for a small astigmatism in his eyes. He can see for the most part, but far away things are slightly blurry for him to read." Namjoon replied as his eyes shifted back over to the dessert line. "Hey, we all need a pick-me-up, right? Why don't we cheat and get a small sweet? I don't think it'd hurt any, come on." he insisted as he stood and waited for the others to give their answer.

"They haven't even finished their meals yet, Namjoon." Jin complained as he watched all of them stand up excitedly. Each of them gave Jin a pouting face, begging him to come with them as though his participation was necessary for them to go through with it. With a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head, he gave in and joined the five of them at the dessert line to wait.

Yoongi was at the back of the line, standing nearest the dishroom, looking less than motivated to be eating any sweets. He wasn't particularly fond of what the dessert line had to offer, but maybe something small wouldn't kill him… However, his attention to the group was torn away when his ears picked up the sound of someone yelling in the dishroom. He couldn't quite understand what was being said because the dish machine was obnoxiously loud, but he figured it was just the workers communicating to each other. Seconds later, one of the student workers hurried out of the dishroom on her phone and stopped just outside its doors to speak to whoever it was. She looked panicked and stressed, and her voice mimicked her facial expression.

"No, he-he fainted! He started talking about how he was having difficulty breathing, began coughing, and then he just fainted!" She tried to explain to what Yoongi assumed to be the police. Quickly, he informed Hoseok that he was going to check out what was going on and then immediately came to the student's side to get her attention.

"Hey, I'm in Public Safety. What's going on? Is the person who fainted in here?" Yoongi asked her quickly, gesturing towards the dishroom.

"Yes, yes, he's on the floor between the machine and the conveyer belt!" She explained to him in a panicked manner before returning her attention to the call and what the police had to say to her. She had obviously never been in this kind of situation before...

Yoongi hurried through the doors of the dishroom, the humidity of the room instantly fogging up the majority of his glasses. One of the college's employees tried to tell him he couldn't come in, but once he explained to her he was a member of Public Safety and was there to check up on the unconscious individual, she immediately moved out of the way and pointed to the student. As soon as Yoongi was able to clear up his glasses, he placed them back over the bridge of his nose and froze as soon as his eyes made contact with Jungkook's still body. What the hell was going on?!


	12. Chapter 11: Fear and Regret

**Chapter 11: Fear and Regret**

 _"I don't care how hungover you may be; no one in the house deserves this attitude, you understand me?!" Yoongi's voice shouted from the other side of the door after he used his fist to knock on the door and grab Jungkook's attention. With the door now locked, Jungkook leaned over and pressed his hands against the sink as he hung his head and closed his eyes tightly shut. The pain he was experiencing was absolutely unbearable, and breathing remained difficult for him. Honestly, if it wasn't for Jimin, he probably wouldn't have been able to force himself out of bed. His mind was running everywhere at once…_

 _The pain held most of his attention, but Yoongi was at the very front of his mind now that he had time to process everything. He was right about one thing… no one deserved the attitude he was giving. Jimin didn't deserve to be thrown off the bed; he could have been injured… The problem is that he didn't have control over it. Jimin caused him so much pain that he reacted before he could think about what he was doing. It was true that none of them were aware of his condition, but why did Yoongi have to assume he was hungover of all things?! Yoongi was only seeing what he wanted to see… He was only seeing the obvious and making sense of it. While Jungkook desperately wanted to prove him wrong, he knew that words wouldn't cut it… He couldn't just tell him the truth, and therefore, there was no point in speaking at all. He had so many things he wanted to say and yet none that he could voice._

 _As the morning progressed, Jungkook's health continued to decline. He was having to exert himself more than usual with every movement he made, and as soon as his bag was pulled over his back, he had to keep reminding himself that he had to endure this pain to prove that he wasn't weak. He had to prove that he was not defeated. He would not allow Paul to win. Sweat was constantly threatening to trickle down his skin all over his body, no matter what he was doing physically. Every position inflicted agony. What made matters worse was the cold he had contracted from the previous night. With every cough, he worried that blood would follow, so he ensured that he had tissues on him at all times to hide every instance this occurred._

 _Jimin worried about him… He knew every question, every attempt to talk, every joke was his way of begging him to tell him what was going on. But why? He was just an orphan. He was a laughing stock. He had nothing to offer; he was nobody. If Jimin knew that, he wouldn't be here. If he or the others found out, he would be shunned for the social outcast he was; maybe they would even turn on him and become aggressive like Paul… What he knew for certain was if they found out, he would no longer have a place to live or have anywhere to go. Worst of all, he would no longer have them as friends… Nobody wants to deal with discarded garbage. He would be too much of a burden and would be looked upon as though he had a handicap. With these thoughts controlling his mind, he continued to ignore Jimin's efforts, just as he ignored the professor. This mindset plagued him throughout the day. His mind was a constant battlefield between physical and emotional suffering as each fought for his undivided attention. Stepping into the dining hall to begin his work for the day only made it worse…_

 _To say that Paul was shocked to see Jungkook would be an understatement. He was expecting him to stay home and recover for a while, but apparently he was stronger than he thought. With everyone watching, there wasn't much he could say or do, so he simply ordered Jungkook to take his place in the dishroom; he was pleased to find Jungkook didn't argue with him on the matter either…_

 _The dishroom was the worst place to be stationed in dining services, especially with Jungkook's condition. He was constantly having to bend over to pick up dishes from the conveyer belt to discard the food in compost and then load them into the dishwasher. He could only force himself to move so fast, and the girl working alongside him was having to pick up a lot of his slack._

 _Once the lunch hour hit, the dish room became significantly busier, which forced Jungkook to push himself to work faster_ _. His body was burning up so much that sweat was dripping from his hair, down his forehead, and over his reddened cheeks. The humidity of the room hindered his breathing so much so that there were many times he had to stop and catch a few breaths, which he was already doing every time he bent down because of the agony he was experiencing. When his coworker expressed concern and questioned him, he merely explained that the humidity was getting to him and that he couldn't breathe very well. He began coughing as his body begged for more oxygen, and as soon as he regained himself and took in a few smaller breaths, the room began to turn on him and everything went dark._

 _Jungkook's coworker made an attempt to catch him before his head hit the ground, but she was only able to ease the fall. It happened so fast that she wasn't entirely sure how hard his head hit the ground, but she was sure it must have made contact… She immediately left the dishroom to call for help, and once Yoongi caught word of it, he came rushing in to find his friend lying on the floor…_

Yoongi froze at the sight of Jungkook. His mind kept shouting at him to do something while simultaneously questioning what was really going on. When he finally finished processing the situation in a matter of seconds, he spoke to one of the women in the dishroom, left the area, and hurried over to Jin, who was still waiting in the dessert line. "I need you to help me with something…" he asked of him before looking to the others, "You guys might not want to be in line right now…" he gestured for Jin to follow him and quickly asked for the students sitting at the couch to move due to an emergency. No way was Jungkook going to remain in the dishroom…

As he and Jin were entering the dishroom, Yoongi allowed Jungkook's co-worker to enter with them as she spoke to the police over the phone. "Hey!" he called out to grab her attention, "We're going to move him to the couch to get him out of this atmosphere. We'll check on everything they need us to once he's out there." he insisted as he and Jin moved past her to get to Jungkook. Yoongi squatted beside Jungkook's upper body and did a quick check for vitals before raising his eyes to glance at Jin, who was obviously just as shocked as he had been when he first saw him, "Hyung… He's alright. The ambulance should be here soon enough." he tried to assure him.

Jin shook his thoughts away once Yoongi spoke up, knowing fully well that he needed to concentrate on getting Jungkook somewhere safe rather than panicking. With a nod of response, he assisted Yoongi in lifting him up and carrying him out of the dish room to place him on the couch that was almost too small to fit the length of his body.

As soon as he was let down, Yoongi began a more thorough check to make sure Jungkook was alright for the meantime. He lowered his ear to his mouth to listen to his breathing and was not pleased to find that it was more shallow than it should be… He checked his head for any sign of blood in case the fall injured him and released a sigh of relief when none was discovered. Unfortunately while he was examining him, the other six members began to question him as they crowded around, their bodies blocking all of the stares Jungkook was receiving from the students in the area.

"Hyung, what happened, what's going on?!" Jimin immediately began to question at the sight of him being carried out. He knew he looked ill since this morning, but he didn't expect his condition to be THIS bad! He should have forced him to go home or something…

"Is he breathing?!" Hoseok asked immediately after Jimin as he tried to get a good look at him as well.

"Hyung, he's going to be alright, isn't he?" Taehyung questioned seriously as he watched Yoongi check his head for the injuries.

"Guys, all of you need to seriously calm down and back up a little. By all means keep others from seeing him, but he needs some room." Yoongi insisted irritably. This entire situation was stressful enough without them getting in the way.

As soon as they did so, Jin spoke up and gestured to Jungkook's left inner elbow with obvious concern. His arm was hanging over the couch, so even with the black, long-sleeved shirt covering his arms, the light was able to reflect off of the stain on his shirt due to its angle, "Yoongi…" He reached out and touched the dark red stain only to slowly pull back as soon as he realized the spot was still wet and overturned his hand to see a spot of blood on his middle and index fingers, "This blood is fresh… Is he bleeding here?"

Yoongi pulled up his shirt sleeve to check his arm for any sign of bleeding but found none. Before he could examine him further, Jungkook's coworker interrupted him...

"Excuse me, they need to speak with you about his condition…" She informed him as she handed him her phone and stood by as she waited for them to finish.

Yoongi listened carefully to what the police had to ask him and gave quick responses in return, "... Yes. His pulse is weaker than it should be, but it's slowed down since the first time I checked it… His breathing is a little shallow, yes… He seems to have a fever, and his shirt has some blood on the left inner elbow, but I haven't been able to check him thoroughly to see where the blood might be from…" At this point Yoongi was interrupted by Jungkook's coworker again, "Hold on, the witness is trying to tell me something…" he moved the phone away from his ear and listened for what she had to say.

"He was coughing a lot before he fainted, and he always coughed into that elbow…" She stated nervously; she had never seen anything like this happen before, so she was obviously scared of what might be wrong…

All of the housemates stared at her for a moment before returning their eyes to Jungkook, who they were becoming more and more concerned about by the second. He was coughing up blood? Yoongi couldn't help but wonder exactly what happened last night… Did he drink something that caused this or was it something entirely unrelated? He hesitantly returned to the phone call, sputtering out the first few words until he could gather his thoughts, "H-He may be bleeding internally; his coworker says he was coughing into the same elbow before he fainted… Alright." he turned his head towards the entrance of the dining hall and spotted three EMS workers rushing towards them with a gurney in tow, "The EMS just arrived actually. Yeah, alright thanks." he hung up and handed the phone back to the coworker.

Yoongi ran his right hand through his thick, blonde hair as he stared at Jungkook, still pondering as to why he may be in such a condition. Somehow he felt at fault… If he had only allowed him to speak and explain last night, maybe he wouldn't be in this predicament. Was it because of him that Jungkook forced himself to go to classes this morning even though he was feeling ill?

He and the other housemates watched in silence as the EMS workers lifted Jungkook's body onto the gurney and stabilized him. It was at this time that Hoseok spoke up, "One of us can go with him, right? I really want to go…" he remarked in a stressful manner. He was jittery and nervous about the situation, and nowhere close to calm.

"No, wait, I need to go with him. It's my fault that he even got hurt this morning!" Jimin argued as he immediately left to follow after the EMS workers. He was an emotional wreck at the moment, and tears were even beginning to swell up in his eyes…

"Jimin, wait!" Jin insisted as he reached out to grab his shoulder and stop him from going any further, "You can't go with him… Not right now. You need some time to compose yourself…" he insisted before looking back at the rest of the group, "I'm going with Jungkook in the ambulance. Namjoon, look after them and make sure Yoongi drives safely." he asked of him before hurrying after the emergency team to leave with them.

Yoongi cursed under his breath as he rolled his eyes. He was definitely going to drive fast, but there was no way anyone else was going to get injured under his watch. He and the others rushed out of the cafeteria and headed in a different direction from Jin and the EMS workers so they could pick up a golf cart to drive to the hospital. Yoongi ran into the building beside the cafeteria, informed his Public Safety coworkers he had an emergency, and then ran back outside only to jump into the driver's seat of a six-passenger golf cart. As soon as he turned the key in the ignition and all of the housemates were seated, he immediately pressed his foot to the gas pedal and took off for the hospital.

"Hyung, remember what Jin hyung said… Be careful." Namjoon reminded him from the side passenger seat directly next to him. He then turned his head to look back at the others; Jimin and Hoseok were in the middle two seats facing him while Taehyung sat in the back, with his back facing them. "Jimin, hey. Look at me… It's not your fault. The others told me about what happened earlier, and there's no way you could have known something was wrong. Even if you had told him to stay home this morning, I don't think he would have listened. You've tried your best, so don't beat yourself up for it."

Jimin's right hand clenched the handle bar at his side and tried his best not to keep eye contact with Namjoon even when he asked for it. He sniffled and tried to keep his tears back, but he couldn't deny that he really needed to hear the words that came out of his mouth. Jungkook had been obviously sick and distressed from something since last night, and he was so blind to it that he even allowed him to attend classes… He should have made more of an effort. Perhaps it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help but wonder if Jungkook would be in that ambulance right now if he had just stayed at home…

"He's right. Besides, Jungkook's going to be alright. You'll see. He'll be awake in no time, and we can talk it all out." Hoseok tried to assure Jimin as he offered a pat on his back and a small smile. He couldn't handle seeing Jimin like this, and even though he wasn't absolutely certain that everything would be alright, he had to make the effort to be as optimistic for all of them as he could.

As the three of them continued to talk, Yoongi was busy cursing at himself and the other drivers as he waited at the stop sign for his turn to cross. "D*** it, Yoongi, you've really outdone yourself this time, haven't you? Was yelling at him really all you could do?- Are you serious? YOUR BLINKER IS NOT AN ACCESSORY ON YOUR CAR; IT'S A TOOL! Geez, I could have gone if I had known he wasn't coming this way. We're only in a f***ing emergency here…" Yoongi spoke aloud as he continued to clutch the steering wheel tightly and sped through the crosswalk only to wait on another stop sign.

Namjoon's eyes fell upon Yoongi's whitening knuckles as he listened to his whole rant. "Hyung, breathe… Just like I'm telling Jimin, you can't blame yourself. None of us knew that his condition was this serious." Namjoon couldn't even stop to think about what might be going on because he was too busy dealing with everyone else's emotions.

Yoongi bit his tongue, holding himself back from responding to Namjoon in a snappy way. He was too annoyed with literally just about everything right now, and the only thing he cared about was getting to that hospital and keeping all of them safe while doing so. Again, he sped over the crosswalk and continued his way towards the hospital.

Taehyung listened to all of them carefully but said nothing. His body and mind felt completely numb, and he was grateful that no one was questioning him. Similar to the others, he, too, felt a sense of guilt, but it wasn't because he did something to Jungkook nor because he felt he should have stopped him from going to class. He felt guilty simply for the fact that he should have tried to speak to him. He should have been the friend that Jungkook seemed to so desperately need at this time. He knew someone had physically hurt him, having seen the cigarette burn on his wrist, and he should have spoken to him about it. He should have told him that he understood… He should have actually offered comfort and a listening ear instead of standing by and letting others put him down even more than he already was…

Meanwhile, Jin sat at Jungkook's side in the ambulance, watching over him as the paramedics performed their work. An oxygen mask was placed over his mouth, and his blood pressure was checked after they had finished testing his vitals. While one paramedic used a flashlight to check for dilated eyes, another began to pump liquid saline into the vein of Jungkook's hand to rehydrate him. Apparently they couldn't find a vein in the crook of his elbow…

"Eyes are slightly dilated. He may have a concussion. He has a fever of 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Breathing is still shallow. His heart rate is normal and stabilized, remaining at 65 beats per minute." One paramedic spoke through his walkie-talkie as he awaited the blood pressure reading, "BP is 145/90." He then looked to Jin as soon as they were finished checking Jungkook's current state, "Can you tell us anything about him that you've noticed recently that may have lead up to this recent incident?"

Jin was still trying to process all that the paramedic had said over his radio… Jungkook's condition seemed to be even more serious than he thought. He occasionally timed him and recorded his heart rates before and after his runs, and he knew for a fact that his current heart rate was far from normal. His resting heart rate usually ranged from 48-52 beats per minute, being the healthy athlete he was… He wasn't surprised he may have a concussion from the fall he had in the dish room, but he could only hope that it was mild. When the paramedic grabbed his attention, he had to think for a moment before responding at last, "Uh… No, not really… I mean, he's been avoiding all of his friends throughout the entire day and has barely spoken. I only saw him once this morning, but I was told that he looked very ill in class… I'm sorry, but we don't share many classes together, and he was fine yesterday…" he thought for a moment as he began to think about what had happened last night. He mostly just remembered the argument, but he did recall that the way he carried himself was different than usual…

"So you're saying he was fine until today? That doesn't make much sense… Is it possible that he-"

"He's waking up!" The other paramedic interrupted as he sat up and observed Jungkook until it was necessary for him to speak up.

Jungkook's eyes opened ever so slightly as he began to slip back into consciousness. His vision wouldn't focus, and the voices and sounds surrounding him were muffled. However, as he began to regain his senses, his anxiety began to peak, and his heart rate followed suit. Where was he? What was going on?! His mouth was covered by a mask, a needle was stuck in his arm, and he couldn't force himself to move! Breathe… breathe… breathe! His short breaths sped up as he struggled to take in oxygen. His body was in far too much pain for him to allow his lungs to expand any further, and the stress this situation was causing was only making everything worse.

"Damien. Damien, you need calm down and take large, slow breaths. Do you understand?" One of the paramedics tried to talk him out of the state he was in as the other paramedic spoke through his radio to explain what was happening.

Jin watched the scene before him with fear in his eyes. Jungkook's chest lifted and lowered quickly, but while normal breaths would make his chest raise quite a bit, it only raised slightly… This told him that something was keeping him from expanding his lungs, and if this pattern kept up, he knew Jungkook wouldn't be just lying in a hospital bed… It wasn't fair. Whatever pain he was feeling he wanted to take away from him. Whatever he was going through, he wished he could take his place! He may have only known him and the others for a few months, but he had never been so close to any other individuals… They were his home. And he couldn't bare the sight of another loved one's name engraved on a tombstone. But what could he do? He was helpless in this situation! Everything inside of him wanted to yell out and beg them to save his life and to stop the pain he was in, but he knew that would only be irrational… They were doing all they could do, and right now, that was going to have to be good enough…

The paramedic continued to speak to Jungkook, but in a matter of seconds, Jungkook's eyes closed once more. He wasn't allowing enough oxygen into his lungs, and his body was working overtime to keep him alive. He was simply better off being unconscious. Again, the paramedics explained everything over the radio and spoke to each other as they monitored Jungkook's heart rate, but not moments later, the ambulance arrived in the hospital parking lot. The paramedics immediately opened the back door of the vehicle, and with one of them jumping to the pavement below, the other began to push the stretcher out for his coworker to ease to the ground. As soon as the stretcher was safely on the ground, they raced him into the doors of the Emergency Room with Jin running close behind them.

"At least they've already reached the hospital by now…" Hoseok commented as they finished crossing the last crosswalk and drove through the shortcut behind Kentucky/Talcott Residence Hall. They only knew it had arrived at the hospital because the sirens had at last stopped blaring.

"Yeah… I hope Jungkook's awake by now. They say if they don't wake up after a short period of time, it implies a more serious concussion…" Jimin remarked uneasily as the hospital came into his view ahead of them.

Yoongi had been driving as fast as he could to reach their destination, but it didn't stop him from being irritated by all of the stops he had to take. He was simply frustrated by the fact he had no control over the situation… He wished he had done everything differently with Jungkook, and he wished even now that he was there beside him. He just had to remind himself that Jin was with him, which meant everything would be alright… He had to believe that. As soon as they pulled into the parking lot, he parked the golf cart and jumped out without any hesitation. All of them practically ran inside to find where Jungkook had been sent, but to their dismay, the woman at the desk told them he wasn't able to be seen just yet. All of them were expressing their concerns and begging her to let them go back, but at the sight of Jin hurrying down the hall towards them, they began to question him instead.

"How is he?!"

"Is he alright?!"

"What's going on?!"

"Where is he?!"

At first glance, Jin seemed to be emotionally drained… He didn't quite look like himself until he was snapped from his thoughts thanks to the many things the housemates had to ask him. The questions kept coming, and Jin couldn't even keep track of who was asking which questions! "Everyone settle down… They're starting to examine him now, so nothing is certain yet. I have no doubt that he's going to be perfectly fine once they've discovered the problem and have treated him. Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung… take a seat in the waiting room to your left. We'll join you in a minute."

The three of them exchanged glances with their hyungs, wanting to voice their disapproval, but they gave in to Jin's request and left them to discuss amongst themselves. Why were they excluding them? Something serious must have happened…

As soon as the younger housemates were out of hearing distance, Yoongi turned his back to them and faced Jin with a cross of his arms as he matched eye contact with Jin in a serious manner. His gaze said everything without his mouth even moving a muscle.

"...Jungkook woke up while we were in the ambulance." Jin began.

Namjoon breathed an immediate sigh of relief, "Well, that's good, isn't it? You should probably be telling them to relieve some of the thoughts all of them are having right now, you know."

Jin shook his head, "I'm not finished… Jungkook did wake up. But I'm serious when I say that his condition worsened immediately after his eyes opened. He's not stable. Something is physically keeping him from breathing properly, and I'm hoping they can solve whatever the problem is. Otherwise… it's not going to end well." He hated bringing to mind the scene he had witnessed in the ambulance, but he knew that especially Yoongi would not have allowed him to keep this hidden from them.

Yoongi's hand twitched as he overcame the temptation to run his hand through his hair. He mostly only performed that gesture when he was stressed, and he knew if he followed through with it, the others would know he was worried about what they were discussing. He could tell Namjoon was fighting to keep the same expression he had before he heard the news… "Okay… Okay. So all we know is that he got himself into some serious sh** last night, and now all of a sudden you're telling me he's practically on his deathbed? And you told them that you're absolutely positive that he'll be 'perfectly fine'?!" he whispered, obviously pissed because he had made such a scene with Jungkook earlier that morning and the previous night. He regretted everything…

"So what if he did tell them, huh? They're dealing with enough on their minds; they don't need to hear that Jungkook isn't stable. Not even Jin knows enough about his condition to say whether or not this situation can get better or worse. Jin's just looking out for them and giving them hope for however long this takes…" Namjoon spoke up, ready to say more if Yoongi had something else on his mind. This situation was extremely stressful for all of them, but he was aware of Yoongi's sensitivity to the matter after everything that's occurred in the past day.

Jin offered an appreciative nod in Namjoon's direction and then returned his eyes to Yoongi as he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Just trust me, alright? I really do believe everything will be okay. The doctors will help him." He assured him. As soon as Yoongi nodded and calmed himself down, he gestured for him and Namjoon to join the others to await any news on Jungkook. As they waited, Jin made sure to send out an email to their Korean professor to inform him of what was taking place and that none of them would be attending class due to the emergency.

By the time a nurse came to retrieve the housemates, twenty-three minutes had passed, and all of them were still as stressed as they had been walking in. However, their wait was finally over, and the nurse was now ready to fill them in on Jungkook's condition. All six of the housemates stood to their feet as soon as the nurse stepped into the room, but she was quick to ask for someone specific, "Is Aiden Valentine here?"

Taehyung moved to the front of the group and nodded politely, "That's me."

The nurse asked for his I.D., and as soon as it was checked, she returned it to him. "Mr. Valentine, you are the only person that has been allowed clearance to know the details of Damien Kooke's condition, due to the circumstances. Would you please follow me." she asked of him as she gestured for him to follow her to another room just beyond the E.R.'s doors to speak in private. "Mr. Valentine, do you know what might have happened to Damien? Have you noticed any strange behavior recently, noticed if he's had any issue with others, anything like that?"

Taehyung stood awkwardly in her presence as he rubbed the back of his neck in thought. The only thing he noticed was that burn on his wrist and a change of attitude, so was that what she was talking about? He didn't think that Jungkook was having any issues with others until he saw that burn… Slowly, he shook his head, thinking that she must have already seen his wrist. He didn't need to speak of something she already knew.

"Do you know if he's the type of person to cause trouble or to be involved in a fight?" She continued to question him.

Taehyung was appalled that she would ask such a question. There had to be a reason she would ask specifically about a fight, but Jungkook was so innocent! No way would he put himself into that kind of situation! "No. He's not that kind of person at all. He would never cause any trouble like that."

The nurse seemed to release a sigh of relief and finally began to inform him of the situation instead of questioning him, "Let me explain… Damien is awake now, and he's become more stable. We've spoken with him, and he claims that his injuries were from falling down a flight of stairs. Of course, that is very possible, but we were wanting to check with someone close to him to make sure."

"Wait, what injuries?" Taehyung asked seriously as his concern became more evident. He fell down a flight of stairs? How? Did this happen while he was out with his friends? Did this happen around the same time he received that cigarette burn? None of this was adding up! Was Jungkook even telling the truth..?

"I apologize, I assumed you knew of his injuries because you all seemed so close… Damien's entire torso and thighs are covered with bruises. He has one fractured rib as well, which is why his breaths are so short. He's in a great deal of pain, so we've given him some medication to ease what he's feeling, but there is nothing we can do to quicken the healing process. His rib will heal on its own with some rest and proper care. Also, he has contracted a chest infection due to the buildup of mucus in his lungs; he's not been allowing himself to breathe properly, which has caused this issue. He still has a fever, but the medicine should help reduce that as well," the nurse informed him very thoroughly, "Do you have any further questions?"

Taehyung listened closely to everything the nurse informed him of… This morning was starting to make sense now… Even Jungkook's attitude from last night was warranted by these mysterious injuries… "Questions…? No, um… I mean, we can see him now, right?" he asked hopefully as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. Taehyung was seriously concerned for his well-being, and he felt partly responsible for whatever happened. Jungkook had become like a brother to him, and he was in his care while staying in the United States. He should have done a better job looking after him…

"Just give me a few minutes to check with the doctor," the nurse responded as she gestured for him to exit the room to return to the waiting room. She left his side to return to Jungkook's hospital room, leaving the boys alone once more.

All except Hoseok, Jimin, and Namjoon stood to their feet to question Taehyung. It seemed that Namjoon had been consoling the younger housemates until now, but all of them were now giving Taehyung their full attention. "What'd the nurse say? Is he going to be alright? Can we see him?" Hoseok asked immediately before anyone else had the chance to ask.

Taehyung released a sigh as he stuffed his hands into his jeans' pockets, offering a nod in reply, "Yeah, he'll be fine once he heals up. He's got a fractured rib and bruises everywhere apparently. He's also got a chest infection… The thing is, all they can do is give him medication, so he'll be dealing with this for a while." He informed them in a hushed voice so nobody would overhear him. The housemates were obviously shocked by Jungkook's injuries and were ready to question how this all happened, so he again spoke up, "He claims to have fallen down stairs…"

"... How did this happen? He was fine before he left with his friends last night right?" Jimin asked worriedly, unsure of how to respond to all of this. He tackled him this morning when he already had a broken rib… Taehyung was right about there being something more to his attitude.

Yoongi scoffed at Jimin's question and rolled his eyes, "His friends? I don't know who he was with, but those weren't his friends. He wouldn't be in this condition if they were…" he remarked irritably, with several of them nodding in agreement.

"Wait, didn't he say that he went to the Pinnacles last night?" Jin questioned aloud as he thought about the situation at hand. He was completely calm now that he was aware of Jungkook's injuries and the details. It's not that he wasn't worried about him… but it was more that he needed more information to further protect him. Things were starting to piece together, yet other pieces of the puzzle were still missing. He didn't believe that he fell down stairs. He didn't even completely believe that he had gotten drunk the night before.

"Yeah, he did. He's lying about either the stairs or the Pinnacles because there are no stairs on that hiking trail that would cause that much harm to him. Rocks, sure. But not stairs." Namjoon replied as he gestured for them all to turn their attention to the nurse that had returned.

"Is he ready for us to come in?" Taehyung asked her once he noticed her presence. He paused as his expression changed from one of concern to one of confusion. Her entire body language and expression told him that she had some news they weren't going to like…

"Actually… Damien has decided not to accept any visitors. I'm sorry… However, when it is time-"

"Wait, what do you mean he won't accept any visitors?! Did you tell him who we are? Did you tell him it's his friends who want to see him?" Jimin asked as he stood to his feet, obviously disagreeing just as much as the others. All of them were bewildered and shocked as to why Jungkook would deny them the access to his hospital room. Why would he say such a thing? What was happening?! None of them understood his actions, but they desperately wanted to.

"Yes, I told him all that I knew. He plainly said that he wanted to see no one. Again, I'm sorry, but I must respect the patient's wishes. We will be holding him here overnight, but he should be released by tomorrow morning." The nurse replied firmly.

"Ask him again. Even if it's just one of us. Please. He… He needs us. I-I know he's denying us, but he doesn't mean it. He's sick, he's hurt, we have to be there for him! Please just… just ask." Hoseok asked of her, calming down a little as soon as Namjoon placed a hand on his shoulder. He couldn't stand it… There were so many questions unanswered. There were so many things he wanted to say to Jungkook as a friend… as a brother. How could he just ask them to leave? No, WHY would he ask them to leave?

"Sir, my answer is final. He has expressed many times that he does not want to see anyone. Mr. Valentine, you will be notified of his release for him to be taken home. All of you have a good day." The nurse said before leaving their presence for the ER once more.

Yoongi started walking after her but was quickly stopped by Jin's arm, which pulled him back to the center of the group, "Hey! We can't just let this happen! Why are you pulling me away, don't you want to see him?!" he was frustrated that Jin was so calm and collected. Wasn't he upset as well? Was he not offended by Jungkook's actions?

While Jin was busy holding Yoongi back and trying to calm him down, Jimin took this chance to push past all of them and run through the doors of the emergency room in search of his friend. He ignored the eyes of the nurses and doctors who watched him pass by, who were mainly wondering why he was running in the hospital. Most of them were unaware of the fact he wasn't supposed to be in there, but he knew that wouldn't be the case in a few minutes. He had to find Jungkook as quickly as possible! Almost an entire minute passed as he peaked through the gaps of curtains to see who was being held in each room. He knew it was wrong of him, but there was no other way he could find him. At last, his eyes finally came upon Jungkook, and he impatiently pushed through the curtains' opening and ran to Jungkook's bedside once he made sure no one else was in the room.

Jimin took a few moments to catch his breath as he observed Jungkook and the machines he was connected to. He noticed Jungkook's forehead was still caked with sweat, and he looked even worse than earlier… However, as soon as Jungkook's shocked eyes lifted to meet with his, he found everything spilling out at once, and his hot, guilt-filled tears began to burst from his eyes, "Jungkook, I'm so sorry for everything! I'm sorry for last night and for not standing up for you, and I'm sorry for this morning when I hurt you, and I'm sorry for not trying to understand you, or for not trying to help you enough, or whatever it is I could have done to have avoided all of this! I wished you would have just talked to us last night! I wish you would have told me of your injuries so this morning wouldn't have happened! I don't understand why you didn't have us take you to the hospital last night to avoid all of this! Please help me make sense of this, Jungkook…" He lifted his hands to his eyes and rubbed away the tears that continued to stream down his cheeks.

At that moment, a security officer pulled back the curtain and made his way towards Jimin, having been alerted of the situation by the woman at the front desk. "Sir, I'm going to have to escort you out. The patient has declined any visitors, and you are not allowed to be here." he spoke firmly as he gestured for Jimin to follow him out. He carefully reached out and grabbed hold of Jimin's arm as soon as he began to disagree, but Jimin continued to fight the guard to get back to Jungkook's side.

"Tell him you want me to stay, Jungkook! Tell him you didn't mean it! Please, let us stay with you! Can't you see we're worried!" Jimin begged for Jungkook to change his mind. He wanted desperately to stay with him to make sure everything would be alright. It wasn't until Jimin and the guard reached the curtain that Jungkook finally spoke up and both he and the officer fell silent.

"Wait…" Jungkook spoke up forcefully yet quietly. He didn't have the energy to speak any louder, but he knew he had to say something. "Don't… Don't punish him. Take him out with the others, but please don't hold this against them…" he asked of the guard. From far away, Jungkook was only just barely able to catch the hurt in Jimin's eyes once he realized he wasn't asking him to stay… While he felt completely disconnected and dead inside, his heart ached at the sight of Jimin yelling at him as he was being pulled away. He hated seeing him cry and apologize for something he knew nothing of. Unfortunately, Jungkook only counted this as another problem with himself. It was just something to add to the list of things he hated about himself… More than anything he wanted to be alone, yet comforted. He wanted to be somebody, yet nobody. He wanted to grow, yet he wanted to whither away… For it was true that while some flowers bloom and prosper even in the strongest of storms and the darkest of days, there are those that are incapable of standing on their own-those that bend as a sign of their weakness until they finally break, never being able to reach their full potential.

After Jungkook spoke his piece, Jimin could only stare at him as the guard led him away until he was out of sight. He stopped fighting and began to apologize to the security guard instead, knowing fully well that what he had done was wrong, though he felt he was doing it for the right reason. He allowed the guard to escort him to the entrance of the ER where the other housemates awaited him. Two guards were standing by with them as well to make sure they didn't go in after Jimin.

"Jimin! Did you find him? How'd he look? Is he going to be alright? … Jimin?" Hoseok immediately stopped questioning him when he realized Jimin couldn't even look them in the eyes. Did he get to see Jungkook at all? Or did something happen? He was so busy thinking about the different possibilities that at one moment he was aware that Jin was speaking with the security guards and in the next, they were already exiting the hospital. He had moved and didn't even think about where he was headed because he was so concerned at this point.

"He… He said nothing. He just asked the guard not to punish me. I thought that if I could just see him and remind him that we're here, maybe he'd change his mind…" Jimin remarked as they returned to their seats in the golf cart, this time with Jin's company as well. He was finished crying by this point and was left feeling down as a result. Did Jungkook feel nothing? Did he not care about how worried they were for him? None of this made sense, and the more he thought about it, the worse he felt…

"You mean, you did see him..? How could he just turn us away..?" Hoseok questioned aloud as he tried to make sense of all of this. He wished he knew just a little more information… He wished he could have seen him to try and get a sense of how he was feeling. According to Jimin, he didn't look well at all…  
"Who does he think he is? We've been through a lot as a household in these past few months, and he has the nerve to act like this? I wish I could go in there and knock some sense into him…" Namjoon remarked with a shake of his head as he watched the hospital disappear into the distance. Yoongi seemed oddly calm at the moment, but as soon as Namjoon's eyes caught sight of his white knuckles again, he became aware that his demeanor was only hiding how he felt inside.

The group barely spoke on their return to Public Safety to drop off the golf cart and on their way back home. It seemed that many of them had something to say, but they were just waiting for the right moment… They were waiting until they had the security of their own home to finally release all that bothered them, everything they wanted to let out… As soon as the front door closed behind them, the silence that had greeted them upon their entrance was shattered.

"Why the hell did we bother wasting our time to accompany him to the hospital?! Why the hell have we spent hours worrying about him when he could care less about seeing us?!" Yoongi shouted as he let out a frustrated groan and pressed his hands against the sides of his head in a stressed manner. So many emotions were flowing through him that prevented him from thinking straight…

"I don't get it! We're his friends; shouldn't he want to see us? There has to be some reasoning behind this." Namjoon remarked as he sat himself on the couch in an attempt to think things over. He just needed to isolate the problem, but Jungkook was such a mystery that he didn't know where to start.

"A reasoning? You mean like, being embarrassed to say that he was too drunk for his own good? Maybe he just didn't want to see us because he'd have to admit that he fell down a bunch of stairs because he couldn't walk straight!" Yoongi yelled in response to Namjoon, though his attitude was obviously only towards Jungkook and not Namjoon.  
"Shut up!" Taehyung shouted angrily at Yoongi as he glared in his direction. A dead silence came over the group as everyone stared at him; even Yoongi stood dumbstruck by the anger with which he spoke. This was not normal for him at all… Taehyung tossed his backpack to the ground by the door and took a step towards Yoongi as he continued to yell at him, "I'm tired of you making assumptions when you don't even know what's wrong with him! What proof do you have that he was drunk?! Why do you insist that it is his fault that he's in the hospital right now?! What if he didn't just fall down stairs?!"

"Why do I want to believe he's drunk?! Why do I want it to be his fault?! Because if all of it was true, it would mean that he wasn't lying!" Yoongi replied as he grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it on the ground across from him to help release his frustration. He didn't want to question Jungkook's integrity. He didn't care if he was out drinking or not… He didn't like the people he was possibly drinking with and that he may have irresponsibly gotten drunk with them, but he'd rather know that this occurred rather than know that he was lied to. The last thing he wanted was for someone of this household to make him question their friendship…

"So you've been yelling at him just to make sure that he didn't lie to you?! What if you're the reason he started to lie; did you think of that?! What if you're the reason he won't talk to any of us; maybe he thinks we won't understand what happened!"

"Sh**, Aiden, you helped cause this problem, too! If you would stop keeping secrets from us, maybe we wouldn't be so d*** confused! Maybe then I would have stopped yelling at him!"

"What are you talking about?! I haven't said anything that would have caused him to be like this!"

"No, but that's just it! You haven't said ANYTHING! This morning when Jimin was almost hurt because Jungkook threw him off the bed, I was only yelling at Jungkook because I was defending Jimin! You ordered us to get out of the room and said that something was going on; do you remember?! What the hell do you know that we don't, huh? Maybe if you would have told us, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Maybe if you had told me sooner I could have understood; I could have told him to take it easy and stay home!"

Taehyung paused for only a moment as he bit his lip and grabbed a fist full of his own hair, trying to think of how to respond. "I… Look, I don't know what's going on either! It's not like he's said anything to me or anyone else for that matter!" He couldn't say it. He couldn't tell them about the burn. Jungkook had the burn hidden by a bandaid for a reason. It wasn't something to be proud of. It wasn't something someone typically wanted others to see or know about. He wanted to protect Jungkook…

"Why won't you tell us?! Do you not think that we deserve to know? We are all close to him; we all care about his well-being. So why is it that you suddenly think that we shouldn't be any more aware of the situation? You really want me to calm down and come to an understanding? Then tell me why I shouldn't be angry! Tell me why I'm wrong! Tell. Me… What is the piece that everyone except you is missing?"

"Just let it go! I can't tell you! For Jungkook's sake, I can't tell you; please understand that!" Taehyung admitted at last that he knew more, when up til now it had only been speculation. He didn't want to lie to them, but he didn't want to tell either. He was stuck in between both Yoongi and Jungkook's trust, and he didn't know how to accommodate either of them fully.

"Would you guys just stop yelling already?!" Hoseok shouted at last as he stepped in between the two of them and silenced Yoongi before he had a chance to argue back. Hoseok looked absolutely drained… He was now speaking with authority, but everyone could see how his hands and knees shook due to this situation. He loathed arguments… Everything about them made him anxious, depressed, frustrated, scared- all of it at once and more. "Listen… Shouting doesn't solve anything… We're all feeling stressed and frustrated right now because we don't understand what's happening, but that doesn't mean we have to take it out on each other. Both of you make good points. Hyung doesn't want to consider Jungkook a liar… doesn't that seem like a good reason to be upset Taehyung? He may be going about it the wrong way, but he's not intending to hurt Jungkook. Hyung, don't you think it's possible that if Jungkook is lying, there may be a good reason? You don't need to yell at each other to try and understand…" he breathed a deep sigh to calm himself now that the room was again quieted, already feeling a little better now that the argument had subsided.

"He's right… Sometimes it's good to let out our frustrations, but this is not the way to go about it. Taehyung, I understand that you want to keep Jungkook's secret, whatever it may be. There's honor in that, and I respect it, as the others should. But if it is something that can put him in harm, we should know." Jin spoke up as he observed Yoongi and Taehyung as they awkwardly tried to regain their composure. They didn't seem to be happy with themselves… "On the other hand, I think it would be best if all of us went to the Pinnacles. Jungkook had never even heard of that mountain before yesterday, that I'm aware of… If you want to believe that Jungkook is speaking the truth, let's trust him and begin investigating." he commented with authority as he gestured for them to follow him out of the house.

Taehyung volunteered to drive because Hoseok seemed to be too shaken up to do so himself. He didn't mean to argue like that with Yoongi, as he was sure Yoongi didn't mean to either… This situation was just too stressful for any of them to handle, it seemed. Even Jin was a little on edge. The drive took no longer than ten minutes, and as soon as they parked in the gravel lot, no one hesitated to jump out of the car to begin the search. All of them dispersed around the entrance, up the start of the trails, anywhere they may find a clue. It was possible that this search could turn up with nothing, and all of them were aware of that. They could only hope that there would be something that would give them a few answers…

An hour and a half passed before anything was found. Most of them were searching higher up the trails, thinking that whatever had happened would have been further up the mountain to avoid the risk of being seen. They were beginning to lose hope before several calls went around the group asking for everyone to return to the amphitheater at the entrance where Namjoon was waiting. In a matter of fifteen minutes all of them were together again, eager to see what Namjoon had found.

"What is it, hyung? Is it really a clue?" Jimin asked as he and Jin were the last to join their company, having climbed higher than anyone else on the mountain. There were three different trails, so two people went up each and left Jin at the entrance.

"I'm not sure… After an hour of searching, I finally convinced myself that it was okay to step off the trail for a reasoning such as this. I've always been told that you shouldn't disturb nature, but this is kind of important… Anyways, I only found an empty beer bottle. It could be something, but it also might be nothing…" Namjoon replied as he carefully showed them the partially broken, dark brown bottle he had found off the trail.

"I hate to break the news to you, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people drink up here… I mean, it's kind of a nice spot." Taehyung remarked uncertainly as he rubbed the back of his neck and studied the bottle as though something was going to magically tell him this clue meant something.

"I thought about that, too. But I usually see beer bottles lying in more obvious places- places closer to the trail where someone might spot it simply by walking around. This bottle was intentionally tossed farther away." Namjoon commented, though he knew it was very possible that someone may have just thrown it for fun.

"I don't know, hyung… I don't think that's enough proof to say anything…" Hoseok sighed as they all murmured in agreement.

"I agree… I think we should search more down here though. Let's spread out off the trail to the right and left down here at the entrance first and then work our way up. Everyone just be careful and be wary as you do so." Jin insisted as he placed the beer bottle beside one of the log benches in the amphitheater and waved for Hoseok and Yoongi to come with him towards the right of the trail while the others gathered to the left.

Again, the search continued, and several minutes passed with no sign of anything. It seemed like the search would continue to drag on and on… That is until Hoseok stepped on something that was distinctly different from the rest of the forest floor. He paused and stepped back to lift his foot off of whatever he had crushed, and he let out a sound of alarm when he realized he had stepped on a pair of glasses! Well, half a pair anyways… "Yoongi hyung! Jin hyung! Come here!" he shouted to them so they could hear him. As he continued to examine the broken glasses, the two of them came running to meet him, immediately looking to see what he had in his hands, "Look, look, aren't these Jungkook's? They look similar right?"

Jin carefully took the black, semi rim eye glasses from Hoseok and examined them, noting that they were the exact brand, design, and color Jungkook had owned. While this was only half of the pair of glasses, he didn't exactly need the other half to determine that these were his… Jungkook didn't have glasses, he mentioned being at the Pinnacles, and here was a pair identical to his. Quickly, he pulled his phone out of his right hand pocket and called Namjoon to gather the others and meet at the car so they could talk on their way back home. He honestly had been hoping not to find anything here, but now that he had, he knew this wasn't just a night of fun and games that Jungkook was a part of…

After retrieving the beer bottle from the amphitheater, the three of them returned to the car to wait on the others, holding off on discussing anything until the rest of the housemates joined them. In fact, nothing was even said until they got into the car and began the drive back home…

"If these are his glasses, which I'm sure all of us agree they are completely identical, then Jungkook didn't just party with friends last night… With the condition he's in and the state of these glasses, I think it's safe to say someone set him up. I don't know how we're going to find out who did this without Jungkook telling us, but we'll have to keep our eyes open from now on. Just try not to make any assumptions… Find proof before you blame someone." Jin remarked seriously.

"Who would do that to him? It's no wonder he lied about falling down stairs… He could be kicked out of Berea for fighting, even if he was just the victim." Jimin commented worriedly as a frown tugged at his lips. He couldn't believe someone would attack him like this… He couldn't even imagine what he must have endured to receive injuries like what Taehyung had described to them.

"I think a lot of this is starting to make sense… He may have gone to classes just to prove he wasn't weak to whoever his attacker was. Either way, we just need to be careful with him… He's vulnerable right now, and I don't think we should discuss any of this with him for a couple days. I believe he needs some time to himself to heal and rest… He just needs to be aware that we are here for him if he needs us." Namjoon said as he tried not to think about what the attacker had done to Jungkook. All of them were disturbed by this finding, but of all of them Yoongi was the quietest due to the regret that had been building up inside of him after the glasses were found.

"We should make meals for him… We should try to talk to him whenever he allows us to. He shouldn't feel alone in this…" Hoseok agreed, "We can trade off with who watches over him at the house while the rest of us are at classes. I think he'd feel guilty if he knew we were skipping because of him…"

With everyone in unanimous agreement, they returned home in constant thought over the matter at hand. Not one of them could stop thinking about what might have happened, who may have taken part in it, what Jungkook was feeling, or how to help Jungkook. Even through the night, regret, worry, guilt, and fear for the future kept each of them awake for many hours of the night, though some of them were filled with more of one emotion than another. Time passed into the morning and soon enough, Taehyung received a call from the hospital clearing Jungkook for homestay. The entire household took part in assisting him to the car, taking him to Walmart for his pain prescriptions, and helping him into his room once they were back at the house. All of them tried their best to start a conversation with him, but he made no effort to respond to any of their attempts. The best they could do was check in on him every hour because he seemed to be bothered by their presence rather than helped.

The day went by with the housemates taking turns looking after him, trying to get him to eat or drink something or to play a videogame with him like they used to. It seemed that all of their efforts were going to waste because Jungkook simply wouldn't speak a word unless they began to talk to him about something serious that he didn't want to discuss. Even talking about Jimin's visit to the hospital seemed to be touchy for him… Asking about Dominic was even worse. And so this day went by without any progress at all, and the housemates were left discouraged as they lay back down for another night of worry. Taehyung and Jimin watched Jungkook from their beds once he had fallen asleep, afraid that if they took their eyes off of him he'd be gone without a trace.

As the next day came, all of them were eager to get their classes over with now that it was finally Friday. They knew that with the classes out of the way they could finally keep watch over Jungkook without anything making them leave the house. Obviously, none of them had the mind capacity to be thinking about anything except for his well-being, but with at least one person watching over Jungkook at all times, Jin made sure all of them attended classes to ensure success. Of course, Korean class was an exception and Jin insisted he be the one to skip because it was his job and not a class… It wasn't as risky to skip.

Jungkook couldn't explain anything to the others, let alone to himself. He didn't know how to feel when the other housemates constantly checked on him when he obviously wanted to be alone. What was the point? Why were they trying so hard? He wasn't worthy of being cared for like this. He wasn't worth the time and effort, and it annoyed him that they wouldn't take a hint. The longer he lay in bed alone, the more he had time to speak to himself, to think of what he wanted, to think of what he should have done all along… When the housemates interrupted his thoughts, he thought about what they might think of how pitiful he was in his condition, or how weak they see him as… He just wished they'd leave him alone so he didn't have to constantly question what was going through their minds when they were present. The only time he was grateful for their presence was when his pain medications died off and he needed more. He honestly didn't know whether the physical or mental pain was worse, but he did know that he wanted it gone. All of it. He wanted to stop feeling the pain that surged through him when the medication died off... He wanted to stop thinking about all the ways his friends' thoughts might be betraying him or about how afraid he was that they might see him for what he was... He wanted to stop hearing Paul's words echoing in his head. He just wanted to stop being.

"How long has it been since someone checked on Jungkook?" Jin asked from the kitchen as he began prepping the meal they would be eating for dinner. It was already dark outside, and a light rain was scattered across Berea as all of them sat together on the couch still pondering what to do differently to help Jungkook.

"It's been about half an hour… I asked him to play an app on the phone with me, but like usual he just keeps shaking his head…" Jimin replied as he leaned against Yoongi, who had been very quiet over the past couple days. No one had been themselves since the incident, that is except for Hoseok, who was really just trying to return everyone into a positive state. Even he was feeling down most of the time, though…

"I'll check on him this time. I hope he ate some of that soup we gave him…" Hoseok sighed as he stood and made his way to the bedroom. He quietly knocked on the door and opened it a few moments after, "Hey Jungkook, Jin's going to… be…" he trailed off as his eyes widened at the sight of the empty bed in front of him. He frantically began to search the room and checked the bathroom for any sign of the lost housemate, but it wasn't until he saw the window open that it clicked… He was gone. "Guys get in here!" he shouted into the hall for them all to hear. Scrambled footsteps were heard running from the living room as soon as he called for them, and in a frenzy, each of them stumbled into the room, afraid something had happened… "H-He left. He's gone!" he explained, even though they could plainly see that with their own eyes.

While all of them were panicking about where he could have gone or what he could be up to, Namjoon took this moment to walk over to something that caught his eye… On Jungkook's night stand next to his untouched soup lay a piece of paper with his penmanship written across the length of the entire paper. There was a set of times in lists under days of the week with averages of those times, listing an average of 6:20 am, 11:44 am, 4:06 pm, 7:53 pm, 12:35am and so on for Friday… Below the lists of numbers was a note that read: "A place where both silence and noise can be found. A place where memories can be recalled and forgotten. A place where one might fail in a balancing act. A place where you can choose to move or stand still. A place where everything may live and yet cease to exist in one moment."


End file.
